Question Number: 30960

Law 11 - Offside 10/26/2016

RE: Competitive Under 19

William Cheriegate of Santa Clarita, CA United States asks...

http://graham-company.com/resources/offside.jpg

Please copy and past the link above so we are all clear.

There has been enough controversies lately over when the AR is supposed to raise the flag for offside. Apparently some have been taught in situations like this to actually wait for the physical touch (7b) rather than when 7 is initially involved (7a).

Assume #3 is challenging for the ball and 7 has no teammates around on this play.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi William,
then lets set these so called controversies to rest here and now! Although we understand historically old habits are difficult to break.
When there is a single OPP and the ball is in NO danger of exiting the FOP and no other team mate is in the mix and there is no danger of a collision with the keeper you think we should punish the POSITION of 7a (where he was at the time of the pass) rather then his actual physical touch thus INVOLVEMENT of interfering with play at 7b? AT one time you could be correct, no longer is it always so! Remember chasing the ball and challenging for the ball
ONE the ball is not close at all!
TWO the ball is close

The new LOTG has requested we restart the offside INDFKs from the actual involvement of the OPP rather than his starting position where he ONLY becomes restricted from involvement and according to the LOTG it is NOT an offence to be in an offside position.
Consider IF #7 was really fast and #3 has zero chance to get to the ball? NOW that said, there is STILL room to interpret #7 attacker our OPP (offside positioned player) interferes with #3 defender who gives chase. In such circumstances a slightly earlier flag could place the restart at the discretion of the AR, where, in HIS opinion, this interference occurs. So yes, a flag could be raised before any physical touch of the ball occurs IF in the opinion of the referee there was any interference by Attacker #7 that prevents the #3 defender of reaching the ball.

The importance aspect is the fact an opponent is actually challenging and is verifiably interfered with by #7 the OPP. The fact that defenders give chase is not sufficient, they must be prevented from direct access to the ball if say #7 was to impede or try to shield or slow down in front of #3 to change his speed or arms spread out to the side or weave to the side to make #3 alter his run. Much in the same way if the #1 keeper was to come out to get to the ball we award the INDFK prior to any possible physical contact with the players well before the ball could ever be touched. In such cases the AR follows the ball, if he can keep up lol and when the interference by #7 is obvious to him he stops pops the flag if it was for the touch at the end or for the fact the AR felt #3 defender was interfered with before or #1 keeper was closing in on a collision course also before the ball is ever touched. Keep in mind, the exact blade of grass restart for offside historically was pretty generalized as trifling and wide latitudes of discretion were the norm.

What I have noticed since FIFA HAS altered the offside criteria the teams are tactically evolving as how to USE these changes advantageously by pushing the boundaries of how close is close and can we pretend to go but really not go and allow a late non OPP arrival to streak on by or an OPP to just being in the mix to the side so as to draw attention of opponents but not the wrath of the officials.
Given the change in restart locations for offside infractions consider that an award of an INDFK is a loss of possession for no real good reason other than the striker was a bit overeager or a touch too fast! Plus it allows the defense to recover and reset their attack. An INDFK down in the lower defensive 3rd rather than midfield might seem like a big deal but in truth the bigger deal is an INDFK can now be awarded for an offside in the OPPs' own half of the field . Imagine if a goal is scored off such a restart? lol Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi William
If I look at your diagram and make the assumption that you do I am of the opinion that the AR can flag the lone #7 for offside on the basis that nothing else is going to happen. Where it get somewhat less straightforward is where the ball makes it back to the goalkeeper who has come out of the penalty area, the ball goes out of play or the PIOP gives up his run for the ball. Flag too early and the latter can happen.
The advice in Law 11 says that player in an offside position 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 the opportunity to play the ball. So that allows for the early flag. The trick is to do it in such a way that the only possible outcome could be offside with little debate about it.
Have a look at this video
https://vimeo.com/106949742
When was the correct time to raise the flag for offside? I believe the AR got it right.
Too soon and the ball can go out of play or the offside positioned player gives up her run. So every situation will be different. I have seen plenty of incorrect early flags at all levels including at the highest. AR should practise Wait and See. Many times no flag is needed.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi William,
I think what you describe, even with the use of a diagram could still lead us to several different scenarios which are fairly distinct from each other and would lead to different decision-making processes for the AR.

If defender 3 and attacker 7 are both challenging for the ball at the initial position, then there is little doubt in my mind that offside should be given at this position. If however, no actual challenge occurs and 7 continues to chase down the field then a couple of other scenarios come to light.

As ref McHugh states, if it is clear that only #7 could ever reach the ball and he is clearly going to continue trying to do so, you could go with an early flag. If however there is a chance that 7 will give up the chase or the keeper is likely to get there first (with no danger of a collision with the attacker) or the ball looks likely to run out of play then there is no need (or real justification under the law) to flag for an offside offence. In the last couple of scenarios the AR might decide to ''wait and see'' and only flag if as you say (and despite initial expectations) the player does actually reach and play the ball or a collision with the keeper becomes a possibility.

Overall though, I would say it is usually advisable in scenarios where the eventual outcome is at all unclear, to adopt the wait and see approach.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

It's hard to tell, even with a diagram, just how close or far the players are from each other. That's because unless we want the positions of the players to be minuscule dots on paper, they are much out of proportion with respect to the size of the field. Markers or numbers could be 3 yards apart or 15, it's hard to tell when the figure is nearly the size of the center circle. I'm not criticizing your drawing, just pointing out a shortcoming of all player representations on paper. The same thing happens in the diagrams in the Laws of the Game on offside - the players are 3 or 4 yards wide compared to the field markings.

If the offside-positioned player is not near enough to a defender to block access to the ball, we wait and see what happens. That sole attacker runs after the ball, we let her until we see if she becomes involved in play. Or gets close enough to another opponent (maybe the goalkeeper) to be interfering with an opponent. Things can happen, she might pull up on her run, the goalkeeper might come out and play the ball, another speedy forward might catch up and pass her and get to the ball first. Unless we wait and see, we won't know the outcome. We can't make the call on what we predict would be the outcome in 99 out of 100 times - this might be that rare 100th time.