Question Number: 31093

Law 11 - Offside 12/7/2016

Petr of Prague, Czech Republic Czech Republic asks...

Hello,

I have two questions.

First is about handball. In my situation are two attackers in the counterattack. Only one defender (last) is there. Attacker A passes the ball to the attacker B. Defender touches this ball by his hand. Is it DOGSO or not? I think it is questionable :)

Second question is about offside. In the rules is notice, that assistant can raise his flag before the attacker touches ball, when this attacker is alone without teammates in this offside situation.

But I have one video, where is alone attacker in offside, but defender kicks ball into own net. Experts say:'No offside.'

Video (first situation in this article):

http://fotbal.idnes.cz/video-ofsajd-fotbalova-pravidla-dnt-/fotbal.aspx?c=A130719_102927_fotbal_pes

Isn't there a contradiction? :)

Can you explain, when you raise flag before attacker's touch and when not in these situations?

Thank you!

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Peter
Thanks for the questions
On the first question the referee has to evaluate whether the deliberate handling denied a goal scoring opportunity. To do that the referee considers what is called the 4Ds. They are
# Distance between the offence and the goal
# general Direction of the play
# likelihood of keeping or gaining control of the ball that is Distance to the ball
# location and number of Defenders
So all four factors must be present. I can envisage a situation where a pass / cross by A is prevented from getting to B because of the defender uses his hand to stop the ball. Had the ball got to B was there a good opportunity to score? If in the opinion of the referee that there was then it is a red card for a DOGSO.
On your second question the player in an offside position has not challenged for the ball so there is no offside offence. Being in an offside position is not an offence so the player has to do something more such as touch the ball or challenge an opponent for the ball. Neither of these happened in the example so there is no offside.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Petr,
When we discuss offside. the position is a starting catalyst but INVOVLEMENT is the big bang of the event when the INDFK offence of offside HAS been achieved. Although the LOTG make reference to a flag raised without a physical touch of the ball it really points to the fact the involvement has transcended into interfering with the opponent in some fashion more so than making contact with the ball itself to interfere with play'
Lets think a moment on the practical reason WHY we should NOT raise flags early. It is an assumption to imagine the OPP is NOT aware or aware of his/her status. We know that if in PURSUIT of a ball we must be 100% convinced that only the OPP can get to it and the ball will not go out into touch.
If we examine the way offside is now taught it stresses the ball must be physically touched. So in this happy place of an early flag we must see NO other option of a team mate also being able to participate in any conceivable way. Take an OPP, standing say, ten yards at the edge of the center circle, inside the opposition half. A ball is kicked right at him. Think the same as if he was on the opposing goal line . In both cases he opens the legs to allow the ball to pass through them. One is a goal the other is a dummied ball. The deciding factor of offside involvement is not that he played the ball by opening his legs to avoid a touch but did it INTERFERE with an opponent's ability to get to that ball?? That is where confusion reigns in is played ONLY a touching action for offside? In my opinion for al intents and purposes it REQUIRES a physical touch of the ball to be declared as interfering with play