Question Number: 35837

Law 11 - Offside 12/13/2024

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

Hello

One last thing please.

1. A5 passes the ball. A12 is in offside position. There is no other teammate nearby. A12 runs to the ball. AR raises the flag when A12 is ten meters from the ball. Why is such a player offside? What exactly was he guilty of?

2. What happens if he stands or stops running? No offense?

Note:
In point 1, the referee almost always raises the flag. Even though it is not in the IFAB rules. The Czech Association added its own note there that it should be raised. They're interfering again, but it probably doesn't matter here because that's how it's judged all over the world.

So I'm wondering what the violation is according to the rules. Is it running towards the ball?

Thank you very much!

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Petr
Thanks for the question

Running towards the ball is in itself not an offside offence. Having said that the Laws advise that
** A player in an offside position may be penalised before playing or touching the ball, if, in the opinion of the referee, no other team-mate in an onside position has the opportunity to play the ball.**
Key word are BEFORE and NO OTHER.

So if an AR is reasonably certain that it will be offside with no other option then an early flag is permissible.
However if the ball is going out of play it is not offside or another player in an onside position is going to play the ball without the close involvement of the PIOP then it is not offside either or for that matter an opponent plays or gains control of the ball without interference from the PIOP it is also not offside and the flag should remain down.

When the change to Law 11 to require touching or playing the ball and / or interfering with sn opponent to be called offside was relaxed some months later, after Pro assistants complained about not being allowed to flag early for certain offside outcomes, that opened the door for the early flag
Since then I have seen some ridiculously early flags almost going back to the way offside was called before the Law change with being in an offside position being flagged.

That is not what is intended as Law 11 has other considerations which has to be factored in such as the ball going out of play, being played by an opponent without interference and onside player being able to play the ball etc.
What we don’t want is collision between a PIOP and an opponent without offside being called early yet that has to be balanced with the ball being played away without interference or other factors as mentioned
So if the PIOP stops running and decides to ignore the ball it is technically not offside.

I had a situation a few seasons ago when an inexperienced AR flagged an attacker in an offside position early as he ran after the ball. The PIOP stopped some fifteen / twenty metres from the through ball as did all the defenders with the raised flag. Now an onside attacker was in the mix and he decided to run when his team mate stopped. With a couple of minutes to go with the score at 3-0, a fourth goal was not going to matter so I took the flag and blew for offside. Technically incorrect in Law yet in my opinion the best decision for the game. There was grumbling from the attacking players yet in the scheme of things there was no real gripe. It was highly likely that not taking the offside flag was going to raise a strong gripe issue for the losing team.
I told the AR afterwards that I did not want to “throw him under the bus” or create a big gripe at the end of the game with a wave down yet had he waited for the touch by the PIOP the offside player would not have stopped his run and it would have been a stonewall offside rather than an early flag alerting the PIOP of his position which is why he stopped his run. The correct mechanics was to wait and see and raise the flag when the PIOP interfered with play or an opponent. No other possibility was then present.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Petr,
Merry Christmas
there must be one single attacking PIOP player involved! It must be 100% OBVIOUS he is the only player going to or having any realistic chance to play it before the ball exits the FOP!
Of course if there any chance of a collision with an opponent due to the ball being 50/50 you need to halt the momentum fast enough.
OTHERWISE you WAIT for a physical touch!


This is crucial tactical information.
A raised offside flag is not the decision, it is a communication device whereby the AR is communicating to the CR that an offside infringement HAS occurred.
If the CR agrees a WHISTLE will sound.
ADVICE to players? (PLAY TO THE WHISTLE !)100% of the time!

The BIGGEST issue is if a lone PIOP is chasing a ball and a flag is raised TOO early the PIOP might indeed do as you suggest. The CR generally will sound the whistle to show unity! However he -may- have a diffrent opinion than the AR.

Does their advice state where to place the ball for the INDFK? lol It should be where the ball was approximately where it WOULD have been contacted but since these infringements occur deep in the defending 3rd the location is fairly open to, in the general area.
Cheers

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