Question Number: 32233

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 2/13/2018

RE: Professional

engin of olympia, WA United States asks...

http://tr.beinsports.com/lig/spor-toto-super-lig/ozet/2017-2018/21/istanbul-basaksehir-0-2-fenerbahce-mac-ozeti

starting at 4:04 a tricky situation. clear handball, referee decision was offside due to orange jersey being in the trajectory of the ball prior to hitting striped jersey's hand.

https://www.useloom.com/share/52b34391f83b41b58e4fdd5a5d3ea9ee

here the comment was that referee was wrong since the ball did not complete the initial trajectory and orange jersey did not affect the final outcome.

What do you think? what would be the proper application of the offside rule here? Thank you

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Engin
In real time and in a match situation it may have looked like Orange #10 had interfered with play by touching the ball or interfering with an opponent namely the goalkeepers line of sight. Looking at it from the side view of an AR it may have looked like the ball came off Orange#10? He certainly motions to avoid the ball. At speed this would be a tough call from a side on view @4.27
Law 11 tells us that preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision is interfering with an opponent is an offside offence.
However we know that is not what happened here on the video replay as the defender clearly plays the ball which deflects it wide. So there could not be any offside here for that 'line of sight' offence as the action did not prevent the GK from playing or being able to play the ball. Did the AR think that the ball came off Orange#10? We know from the video that did not happen.
Anyway IFAB is quite clear when it states and I quote *    a player in an offside position is moving towards the ball with the intention of playing the ball and is fouled before playing or attempting to play the ball, or challenging an opponent for the ball, the foul is penalised as it has occurred before the offside offence* So what happens before the offside is completed is what is called
So from the video review there are only two options
1. A corner kick or
2. If the referee deemed that the defender deliberately handled the ball it is a penalty kick.
At this level with the player raising his hands I would say penalty kick is the correct decision.
From a referee mechanics point of view this looked much too quick for me to be a line of sight offside call. I think there is a stronger possibility of the AR thinking the shot came off Orange#10. Offside was an easier call for the referee to make rather than waving down an offside flag to award a penalty kick. Ultimately this was the referees call to make as he has a great view of the line of sight question and also the deliberate handling question. It certainly would have been made a tougher decision with the offside flag raised. With communication mikes this needed to be a slower decision and a discussion with the AR.
In summary it was not offside and as a result it was either a penalty kick or a corner.
Afterthought
Here is an interesting position. Deliberate handling by the defending team is viewed as a reset of offside. Had the ball got to the player in an offside position off the handling that would have been a reset and no offside.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Engin,
In my opinion the only factor here is was the defender guilty of deliberately handling the ball? Since I cannot be certain it was deliberate I would go with a corner kick!
The PIOP was not a factor!
Check out our You call it! it pertains to this situation somewhat!
Cheers

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 32235