Question Number: 30210

Law 11 - Offside 3/21/2016

RE: College

Waddah of Tripoli, Tripoli Libya asks...

If second last defender is on ground (lying) but between attacker and goalkeeper is it off-side?

Is Decision of ref in cancellation of Gareth Bale Goal in RM vs SEV yesterday correct? Where something similar happened.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Waddish
When considering offside all the defending players are taken in account including any player lying on the ground. If a defending player is off the field of play without permission, as part of a playing movement, he is placed on the goal line for offside calculation purposes.
Have a look at this video
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ePFjXxbJdz0
Note the Blue player behind the goal when the ball is played back in. The scorer Van Nistleroy was in an onside position (despite what is said on the video) because he has two defending players between himself and the goal line, that is the goalkeeper and the Blue defender laying behind the goal.
In respect of any injured player on the field of play that player is also taken into account. Not to do so would encourage defenders to lay down injured to place opponents in an offside position. That would not be tenable.
In respect of the first offside Gareth Bale disallowed goal Bale was certainly not in an offside position when the ball was headed on by Ronaldo and the offside call would have been in error.
The Blue player who had lost his footing puts Bale in an onside onside. That players rear foot is the defining line for considering offside.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xtxoL1ubvkc

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

If a defender, lying on the ground injured, is keeping an attacker 'onside', then so be it. He isn't taken out of the equation just because he isn't moving.

The same applies to the attacking team - if an attacker lying on the ground in an offside position is struck by the ball after it is kicked by a teammate, that player would be penalised.

Answer provided by Referee MrRef

Hello Waddah,
it is unfortunate but if the goal was disallowed for offside the CR and AR got that call incorrect as the defender slipped at a crucial time leaving Bale onside at the MOMENT Bale's team mate LAST touched the ball. The defender's quick recovery, managed to throw off the AR line of vision, so by the time the ball got to Bale he was in behind that defender and looked offside so the AR popped a flag that should not have been raised. Close calls often are incorrectly flagged because the ability to process what is seen, with the participants moving all about , create a delay of the image being transmitted from eye to brain so the critical freeze frame moment is lost slightly.

from our pitch to your pitch in the spirit of fair play