Question Number: 26830

Law 5 - The Referee 9/25/2012

RE: Rec Under 14

Brian Halin of Dallas, TX U.S.A. asks...

If a referee calls a ball offsides and then realizes that it really wasn't offsides, can he change the score in his book?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

A referee may change a decision, upon realising it was incorrect, providing that play hasn't restarted.

While I'm not entirely clear on what happens here, I'll mention a few possibilities.

If the ball ends up in the goal before the referee has had a chance to blow the whistle for an offside violation and he declares that the goal will not be allowed as an offside violation occurred first, then he can change his mind to allow the goal as long as the free kick has not taken place.

If, however, the whistle is blown before the ball crosses the goal line into the goal then as play has already been stopped, there is no possibility of allowing the goal. The only thing the referee can then do if he realises the offside was incorrect is to award a drop ball.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Brian
If play has been stopped before the ball crosses the goal line then the goal cannot be allowed. The erroneous whistle can only be corrected by a dropped ball restart from where the ball was when play was stopped.
The referee can disregard an offside flag and as play has continued then a goal can be awarded in that case.
The referee can also change his mind on any decision provided play has not restarted. He cannot stop play though, change his mind and then allow play to continue without a legal restart.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

If the referee stops play before a ball scores in accordance with Law 10, there can be no goal and if the referee further realizes he stopped play for an incorrect reason, the restart is a dropped ball.

Now, suppose a goal has been scored but the referee looks over at his AR and the AR has his flag up indicating an offside offense. After talking to the AR, the referee calls off the goal and awards an IDFK. But before the kick is taken, the trail AR comes running up the field and tells the referee and the lead AR that there was a defender on the far post the lead AR didn't see keeping the attackers onside. Now the referee may go back and award the goal.

Hope we have covered the possibilities for you