Question Number: 35603

Law 11 - Offside 6/28/2024

RE: Professional

Larry of Danville, CA United States asks...

Hello all,
I am hoping to get your take on this video. Is the orange player in an OSP near the penalty mark an issue? The orange player near the 18 appears to be in an OSP at the time of the free kick. Is he fouled and does you decision change for a lower-level game? If he is fouled, is he fouled before or after he is involved in play? As always, thanks.

https://youtu.be/2hIDZRJPF3E

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Larry
Not an easy one.

The PIOP in line with the ball is not an issue in that this PIOP has not affected play. Perhaps gamesmanship yet his position and action does not meet any of the four offside conditions of interfering with an opponent.
Perhaps a direct shot at goal maybe yet even that is a stretch as line of sight would not be compromised.

With VAR we can also opine that the fouled player was in an offside position at the moment the ball was kicked.

Law 11 tells us that if 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 we could opine that the PIOP was fouled away from the ball so the VAR decision should be a penalty kick. We also know that in the Pro game a great deal of physicality is tolerated in these situations.

At grassroots I believe an AR looking across the line may see the attacker in an offside position yet it is tight based on the defender behind the PIOP who will be somewhat screened from the AR. That will make it a difficult call for the AR based on depth perception as from an AR view it may look like the PIOP is close to the ball and challenging. Only the referee can see that is not the case.

It is going to be a challenge at grassroots to get this one correct. I think there is a good chance of an offside flag and I doubt a referee is going to have the luxury of opining that the PIOP was not challenging so as to overrule the flag and give a penalty. Communication is going to be an issue without headsets plus dealing with an offside flag on a penalty award. Whether the referee would give the foul on the PIOP is another question.

So for me the correct decision using VAR is a penalty kick.
Without VAR I think there is every chance of offside being called if the AR flags it.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Larry,
the PIOP in the middle , personally I think calling it immediately on the free kick award an INDFK out and then these idiots trying to maneuver the LOTG in some tactical feedback loop could be eliminated. In the old days it was an easy accepted call.
Under todays interpretations we could consider the PIOP as not relevant to the outcome thus ignore. The marginally PIOP to the side presents a different issue. In the old days offside occurs before the foul offside INDFK out! If the foul had USB or excessive attributes you could still caution or send off.

As my esteemed colleague Ref McHugh explains given there is no INDFK foul until INVOLVEMENT occurs, UNTIL the offside player is within the sphere of influence to challenge or attempts to challenge for the ball if that player is fouled then that free kick takes precedence as occurring BEFORE involvement yet inversely a PIOP who then blocks the defender from their ability to challenge FREELY has in fact interfered with an opponent which IS involvement.

I completely agree this is likely to be an offside at the grassroot level but it could be a PK if VAR was to get involved at the pro level. That said I think the INDFK is .
the wiser option less chance of dissent.
Cheers