Question Number: 32206

High School 1/31/2018

RE: High School High School

Peter of Stockton, CA United States asks...

Hi

I encountered a situation the other day that was new to me and I want to make sure I made the correct call. Situation - Blue team was attacking, White team was defending. Blue has the ball in the white team's penalty area. Blue's defenders are all either in white's half of the field or right on the half way line. White has an attacking player (White A) about 4 yards in the Blue half of the field. Blue loses the ball and the White defender kicks the ball towards the half way line. White A runs across the half way line and gets the ball. Two questions: (1) Should White A be penalized for being off side? (2) If so, where would the restart be? I gave the indirect free kick from the point at which White A got the ball. It felt strange to me (and had some calls from on lookers) because the free kick was given against white in their half of the field.

Thanks

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Peter ,

you sound a tad confused but you are/were spot on! . You must have calmly reviewed the situation in your mind & recalled reading the new LOTG aka rule that now award the INDFK for offside where the involvement actually occurs NOT the positional determination of ineligibility.
The correct call is an INDFK restart that occurs from where the white PIOP player interfered with play by physically touching the ball on HIS own side of the half as that is where the PIOP became involved!
Well done!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Peter,
You made the correct call(s). The player has committed an offside offence and you also got the position of the restart right.

The Laws of the Game state:

''If an offside offence occurs, the referee awards an indirect free kick where the offence occurred, including if it is in the player's own half of the field of play.''

For a High School game, the rules specify the same restart position, as follows:

''Indirect free kicks for offside (13-2-2b) are taken from the spot where the offending player interfered with play, interfered with an opponent or gained an advantage by being in that position.''

Answer provided by Referee Joe Manjone

Peter,
You made the correct call and allowed the indirect kick to be taken from the point of infraction (where the white player received the ball).

This position of the restart began in the 2016-17 NFHS Rules when the point of the infraction was changed from the second to the last defender to the actual point where the offside infraction occurred.

Previously, the spot of the infraction would have been on the white side of the field or on the midfield line, the spot of the second to the last blue defender. The restart would have been from there. But, now as you had correctly called, the restart is from the point of infraction, even though it is in the defenders half of the field.

Good call, Peter. I hope that the remainder of your season continues to be successful