Question Number: 29464

Law 11 - Offside 6/6/2015

RE: Youth to adult, comp and rec.

Barry Stewart of Chilliwack, BC Canada asks...

This question is a follow up to question 29463

On the question of the PIOP simply lifting his leg to let the shot go through:

I've never seen it in actual play, though I can imagine my wanting to call it if I did see it. Rather than simply stepping away or turning to make it clear that he wants no part in the play¦ he stays there and makes a deceptive play without touching the ball. By the rule of the (new) Law, however, it is a legitimate goal.

On the other hand, there is a similar play that a defender could do, that also should not be penalized. Picture a defender as last man back, mid-goal, with his keeper badly beaten. A high crossing shot/pass comes in, with an attacker heading for the far post. The defender's only legal option is leap and swat at the ball¦ without touching it.

The attacker is a brilliant leaper and could have gotten to the ball -- but the defender's 'fake swat' throws off his timing and the ball goes out of bounds. No touch, no foul.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Barry,
the act of a ...dummy... pretending to play the ball but allow it to continue its path is one that could, in my opinion, have fitted the ... OLD... now outdated LOTG on interfering with an opponent on offside, as a gesture or movement to deceive.
THIS NO LONGER APPLIES! The removal of the words movement along with gesture or deceive now are rolled up into the one word ...Challenge...
Whether a dummy is the same as just trying to get out of the way might be debateable, but it plays no part of offside decisions anymore unless it blocked the line of sight to get to the ball or was seen as a challenge for the ball.

Part of the issue stemmed from using the words touch or played linking them as meaning the same so for some of us it did not matter if the offside player... touched... the ball, he ...played... it as a dummy.

It was slightly confusing because offside for interfering with play REQUIRES A PHYSICAL TOUCH yet we are allowed by FIFA to call offside if an OFFSIDE player is the only participant likely to get to a ball that will not exit the FOP or be played by another teammate of the PIOP even before a touch occurs! SIGH!

A defender wildly thrashing the arms above then pulling them back might have the effect you wish! Then again it might be seen as impeding depending on the location of the attacker or it could look like the ball was in fact touched even if it was not.

In a men's match a few years back I had a PIOP dummy the ball but his direction of pull away forced an opponent to cut around him to try and get to that ball thus by proximity and a blocking movement I awarded an offside back then. It is likely given even how the offside definition has changed I still would award offside now as the challenge is preventing the opponent from being able to play the ball fairly! Think on it as a PIOP going up for a header beside an opponent then duck let it go over his head. On a challenge there does NOT have to be physical contact of the ball but it must clearly impede the defender's ability to play the ball . There is a difference in dummying when the opponent is not in a challenge position and the opponent is giving chase. Its not the dummy move that creates offside the action must be seen as a ...challenge... or blocks the line of sight of an opponent. Letting a ball go through the legs or ducking to let it go over you when targeted as a PIOP to deceive or misdirect an opponent is not the same as preventing him from playing the ball. A PIOP cannot shield the ball and impeding is a far easier call on a PIOP then a non PIOP.

• “interfering with an opponent” means preventing an opponent from
playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s
line of vision or challenging an opponent for the ball
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Barry
Have a look again this goal
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=opgysvp3yJg
Obviously the player in an offside position did not meet any of the offside conditions so the goal correctly stood.

As regard the defender that dummies the ball including with the hands to puts off an opponent during play, as long as he does not verbally deceive or distract there is no offence. he does run a high risk though of being called for handling should the ball make contact with the hand
If we go far enough back in the laws arm waving was considered to be unsporting behaviour which was an offence with an IDFK restart . The great rewrite of 1997 removed all that from the Laws.