Question Number: 25118

Law 11 - Offside 6/20/2011

RE: Select High School

Dan of Eastampton, NJ USA asks...

Question on A/R Mechanics.

Late in the match, defensive sweeper is six yards behind two attacking forwards about thirty yards out. I am AR2. Attacking MF has ball at half line near my touch line. MF kicks ball with moderate pace diagonally forward towards center of field. I take my snapshot and two forwards are onside. The sweeper runs forward four yards past the forwards to intercept ball. Ball hops over her foot and continues on to one forward.

The Center turns sees the position of the forward, sees my position (I have moved forward with the sweeper and began retreating with the misplayed ball.) I see the Center raise his whistle assuming the forward was in offside position. I yelled 'both players onside.' The Center,looking puzzled, did not intervene.

The forward continued on and scored a goal which was inconsequential to the result. The defensive team sideline went ballistic complaining about the missed offside. Of course, this commentary continued when the match ended several minutes later. The coach did not accept that there was any way two players could be behind his defender and not be offside. He stated that when she ran forward, she made them offside. I know he is wrong.

My question to you is: Have you dealt with similar situations - if so, how? Is there a better way to communicate to the Center in that situation? It is kind of the opposite of an attacker coming back from an offside position to play the ball. By the time everyone sees involvement, they snapshot is not in anyone's mind but the AR.

If I had allowed the offside call, it would have eliminated a lot of turmoil, but it would have been the wrong call. Had the Center blown the whistle, could I have lobbied him for a drop ball restart due to the 'inadvertent whistle'?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Dan
In the pre match discussions the referee usually delegates offside calls totally to the AR unless a blatant error has been made in which case he will intervene. In this situation you clearly saw that it was not offside and you were best placed to view that. The referee should not intervene here and indeed the fact that the flag is not raised is confirmation that there is no offside infraction. There is no need to do anything further or to communicate that other that moving with play as it continues with the flag clearly displayed in a low position or perhaps with a discreet agreed gesture that there is no offside.
it is unlikely that the CR would have blown here without the flag. I have not seen that happen but if the referee believed that the correct decision was offside then it is his game to call and I would not intervene. I would tell him afterwards in the privacy of the changing room that the call was wrong and that he should be 'trusting' his AR to make the correct call.
As regards coaches questioning decisions there is nothing new in that. The team will have a different view. You made the correct call and that is all that counts. If the coach's behaviour overstepped what is acceptable then the CR should intervene by warning him of the consequences of his unsatisfactory conduct .

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

This is one reason some referees like to use an unauthorized signal to signify 'no offside'. A signal we use around here is for the AR to make a signal similar to 'advantage' with the hand not holding the flag. As with any unauthorized signal, use of the signal should be discussed between ref and AR's in pregame, and usage of the signal should be limited and unobtrusive.

Perhaps a better thing to call would be, 'Onside when the ball was played!' People still might not believe you, but reasonable people would understand what you were saying you had seen.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Sometimes, the simplest information from the AR is to point to the defender who kept the players onside. Right or wrong, everyone knows what you decided! The defense often will turn their ire at the defender who was late in stepping up and not at the AR.

The danger in pointing comes when the players are faster than you are. You will lose a step pointing.