Question Number: 24205

Law 5 - The Referee 10/20/2010

RE: Under 13

Mike of Boston, MA USA asks...

The referee (no ARs) calls offside.

After the whistle, everyone points out that the referee missed the proper second to last defender hanging out with the goalkeeper - well out of sight of the ball and the run of play.

The referee agrees that he missed the call and apologizes but 'there's nothing he can do about it now' and the call stands. Is this correct? I'm thinking that the referee could call a drop ball since he 'inadvertently' stopped play.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The dropped ball for an inadvertent whistle would be correct. It was a stoppage for an event not covered elsewhere in the Laws (there's no such thing as a stoppage for almost-offside-except-for-that-player-I-didn't-see). That's only slightly better for the team that was denied their attack, but it's the best the referee can do.

Charge teams enough to afford 3 officials at each game, and don't abuse them so they all quit, and you wouldn't have this dilemma.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

I've dropped the ball for this very kind of thing before - an AR went up with a flag, and I blew the whistle before my brain finished processing the scene in front of me. Sure enough, the flag had gone up for a player in an OSP - but no involvement since the player with the ball had never passed it! Oops. A quick apology and a dropped ball and we were off again.

The 'there's nothing I can do about it now' only works if play has restarted.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mike
The correct decision is a dropped ball restart with an apology from the referee.
With the general 'demise' of the contested dropped ball I wonder had the referee gone with a DB what the teams would have done?