Question Number: 23618

Law 18 - Common Sense 7/5/2010

RE: Competitive Adult

Doug Anderson of Orillia, Ontario Canada asks...

This question is a follow up to question 23600

My question takes this in a slightly different direction; relative to the foul committed, when does the ball cease to be in play? the situation that brought this to mind was this:
I was AR in a Men's competitive game. The ball was played toward an PIOP by a teammate; the ball fell to him and I raised my flag. The center had not yet blown the whistle as he had not seem my signal. The second last defender tried for the ball too hard and fouled the PIOP. He went down with screams of foul and red card (he would have been in the clear going to goal from about the 18).
Clearly, there was no red (PIOP could not have scored so foul did not prevent goal scoring opportunity). But I had seen and signaled all elements of the offside before the foul (all that remained was the whistle to go).
The foul was not enough to warrant a yellow card (it was an over-enthusiastic, careless tackle, not reckless or violent). But since the whistle had not blown, was the ball still in play? Should the center have called the foul?

(I told the referee (center) that the offside was seen and called before the foul; he agreed and went with me, awarding an outbound IDFK for the offside. Our reasoning was the ball was out of play when I raised the flag, and the 'foul' was only 'possibly cautionable conduct' but we did not do so as it was not conduct beyond careless).

So were we right?

And my follow up question is, had I not yet raised the flag (for example if the ball had not yet reached the attacking player as I was waiting for the touch that signified involvement) would the outcome be different? Is the ball then still in play and a foul still possible to call?

DA

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Anderson
As the offside offence happened first that is the call that is made by the referee. The fact that the referee did not see the flag and the whistle did not stop play does not change that decision. However it does not allow any defender to challenge for the ball in a reckless manner or use excessive force. From your description the correct decision was made. Also it cannot be a DOGSO as an obvious goal or goal scoring opportunity has not occurred.
So the correct restart is an IDFK for offside and the tackling player may be sanctioned however if, in the opinion of the referee, his action on its own was a cautionable or sending-off offence.
As regards your follow up question the offside should still be called when the tackle is made as the PIOP has interfered with an opponent and the offside offence happened first. The player in the offside position should be penalised before contact with the ball if in the opinion of the AR there is potential for physical contact with an opponent. So don't wait for the touch of the ball when it is obvious what is going to happen. That one happens quite regularly on a through ball towards the keeper. The flag should go up to allow the referee to stop play to prevent unnecessary physical contact when the offside is going to be called.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Play is stopped when the referee has decided to stop play - whether or not it is announced in that same instant. Play is also stopped at the point where an AR raises his/her flag, assuming the referee accepts their information.

If a referee sees an incident and is about to blow the whistle, but hasn't had time, and the ball exits the field, we still go back to why the referee was stopping play, because play stopped when s/he made the decision to stop, not when it is announced.

So, it appears you and your referee made the correct decision, and even if you had not yet raised the flag, but had made the decision, that counts as well.