Question Number: 29113

Law 11 - Offside 1/19/2015

RE: competitive Under 12

Morgan of London, UK asks...

An offside decision was given yesterday by a linesman under the following cicumstance.
Red Player A was running towards a ball from an on side position and was 2 metres from the ball when the flag was raised.
Red Player B also ran to the ball from an offside position and was 4 metres from the ball.
It was clear that player A was going to play the ball first but the offside was given.
The linesman explained that he was under instruction from the referee to give offside should any player move towards the ball from an offside position.
Is this the correct interpretation of the offside law?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Morgan
That is not the correct interpretation of offside and that advice on offside is now dated. The current Offside Law 11 states that offside should only be called if the player in an offside position touches the ball or he interferes with an opponent by challenging for the ball or interfering on line of sight to the ball.
There is a provision that offside can be called sooner than the touch on the lone player in an offside position who is going to definitely play the ball.
In the example cited no offside decision should be made until it was clear if it was Red A or Red B that touched the ball. As Red A was onside and he was about to play the ball there was no possible offside unless Red B interfered with an opponent and it does not read like that.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

If the referee gave that instruction, the error is on the referee as the assistant must follow an instruction. But, running toward the ball is not enough to be offside. Illustration #3 in the FIFA Interpretation and Guidelines (attached as an appendix to the laws of the game) expressly addresses the situation you describe as "not offside."

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Morgan.
It is unfortunate but the current offside guidelines have undergone a revision of protocols and many officials are having a difficult time adapting to it.
Each referee is a composite of his experience and current knowledge and application of the LOTG.
The referee was in error and a linesman UNLIKE an AR is there only to give a general type of help. An AR may have had knowledge to assist if he was aware of the Interpretation of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referee
#3 picture page 111
Interfering with play
An attacker in an offside position (A) runs towards the ball and a team-mate in an onside position (B) also runs towards the ball and plays it. (A) cannot be penalised because he did not touch the ball.

For the record a SINGLE offside positioned player may be penalised before playing or touching the ball, if, in the opinion of the referee, no other team-mate in an onside position has ANY opportunity to play the ball and the ball is not possibly going to go out of play before it could be played.

Offside interpretation, I had a t-shirt made up it says
'I can explain it to you but I can not understand it for you!' Read our explanation on the front main page
Cheers

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 29119