Question Number: 32314

Law 11 - Offside 3/16/2018

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

This question is a follow up to question 32311

Thanks for the answers. Last question please.

In the first situation (35:30) the referee moved the spot of restart (35:55) closer to the opponent's goal (a few metres from where he raised the flag).

In the second situation (40:50) just a bit (41:31).

Why? Thank you!

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Petr,
quite simply it really boils down to who cares? It just does not make a significant difference back in the mid or defensive third where if the restart was in the attacking third out in front of the opposition goal the location becomes critical.
An indfk for offside is not usually a blade of grass restart but an approximate area. The area of involvement or the action of involvement for interfering with an opponent covers a generalized area not like a foul from point of contact.

We indicate near mid or far with the flag across the field and the AR generally stands inline near the approximate location but can be 20 yards away or more at times as moving players in opposing directions and ball movement can affect when the flag itself is raised a we WAIT for the point of involvement not the position of the PIOP initially .
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Petr,
I haven't watched the video clip you refer to but as I understand it you are asking a question that is fairly imponderable. Without talking to the AR in question it's very difficult to be sure of his thought processes.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Petr
I watched the video again and I do not see any discernible difference from the location of the flags and the IDFKs. If there is I would suggest it is trifling and not deliberate on behalf of the officials.
Officials do not get too animated at this level about offside location restarts as teams generally go short and pass the ball around.
We can take it that the IDFKs were taken from the flag locations or close to them. The only other locations could have been where the balls were played and that did not happen.