Question Number: 30901

Law 11 - Offside 10/15/2016

RE: competitive Adult

Jacob Mungoma of Malindi, Kenya Kenya asks...

The AR flags up for an offside but immediately the attackers score. CR faces toward the AR for eye contact, no other sign he whistles for a goal and directs for kickoff at the centre. Flag still up, what do you do as AR?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jacob
At the higher levels assistant referees have buzzers and mikes to communicate with the centre referee. On an unseen flag the AR will be buzzing the referee and if he has miked communication telling him that it is offside.
In the absence of those devices and the CR has not made eye contact with the AR then the AR should be standing with the flag raised and calling in to the CR with a loud shout. The AR should not allow play to restart without attracting the referees attention. In these situations the defending team will be pointing to the flag and helping to attract the CR attention.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Jacob,
as my colleague points out recreational or less than elite programs are rarely hooked up for communication. We have our eyes, ears, a flag all hopefully attached to communicative common sense and courtesy.

If the AR has a flag up indicating offside when the goal is scored the defending team will be screaming about the 'perceived injustice' and ensure the CR is in fact aware, if he has not yet had eye contact or waved off the flag as is his right. The raised flag is a signal ONLY for the referee to consider that the AR held the opinion the goal was offside. If you as CR are adamant the goal is good WAVE off the AR immediately give him a thanks thumbs up but it IS a good goal, perhaps go over and have a talk in PRIVATE if you must ! .

At the pro levels they can have a quick beak at each other (it was deliberately played by the defence) (There was another defender on the far post behind the keeper) whatever it is or was that caused you to think as you do! In rec we need to use a bit more interaction and talk out things quickly. In certain cases where the CR notes a deliberate play of the ball by the defenders in a crowd creates a chance for a OPP he could yell to AR, ' Off the D' and or wave him off if the flag was being popped. Or if the OPP scores and the AR flagged go over to explain, wave him down, listen, evaluate but tell him it IS a good goal if indeed it was!
You see an AR who ONLY THINKS it MIGHT be offside can indicate to the CR without flagging once the goal is scored that he is unhappy and thinks the goal might be off by not assuming kick off position and indicate the need to talk .

If a stubborn or insistent AR has decided to force your hand and not support the decision to award the goal and is belligerent standing with flag raised after you asked him to drop it then he has to be dismissed. It is not that the AR has no right to disagree it is a fact he has no power to make that decision nor should it be made a pubic spectacle as it undercuts the match integrity.
Cheers