Question Number: 30996

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 11/6/2016

RE: competitive Adult

Jacob Mungoma of Malindi of, Kenya asks...

Hi, Law 11-4 the last paragraph says 'A player who deliberately leaves the field of play and re-enters without the referees permission and is not penalised for offside and gains an advantage must be cautioned.' Law 12-3 under cautionable offences it says ¢ entering, re-entering or deliberately leaving the field of play without the referees permission. Meaning such a player should be cautioned. Is this not contradictory in that if a player re-enters TFOP without the referee's permission but is not penalised for offside and does not gain advantage should not be cautioned which will be contrary to law 12 as highlighted above? Is it my wrong interpretation? what's your take?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jacob
Law 11 as you state says that **a player who deliberately leaves the field of play and re-enters without the referee's permission and is not penalised for offside and gains an advantage, must be cautioned.**
The difference is that in offside there can be two types of movement that is one that is deliberate and one that is accidental, happening as a part of play.
On the defender one once the movement is deliberate to place a player in an offside position the player is placed on the goal line for offside purposes and that is a caution at the next stoppage in play. If it is accidental movement the player is also placed on the goal line and there is no need for a caution as the players natural movement took him off the field of play and he gets involved again immediately or he may be injured.
One the attacking one the Law allow for an attacking player to step off the field of play to show that he is no interfering in play. Rarely is there a need to do this now yet it is not an offence to do so and the player takes no part on play until the next stoppage in play or or the defending team has played the ball towards the halfway line and it is outside their penalty area. He then re-enters as normal which is not an offence. Now should the player stay off the field of play and use that staying off position to his advantage such as coming from behind to challenge an opponent who does not know that the player was in that position then that is a caution and IDFK. If the referee calls it as offside then it is an IDFK only. That is not contrary to Law 12 as one has to assume that the action was accidental and offside deals with it adequately.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Jacob,
my colleague Ref McHugh has explained it well.
The subtle difference is we let players play the game realising there are times when they exit the field it is not to deceive or cheat but to avoid unfair involvement or through accidental momentum . If they stay true to how or why, we are unconcerned but if they show a streak of USB to deliberately take advantage of the situation and or affect the opposing teamm they will run into trouble.
Cheers