Question Number: 19021

Law 11 - Offside 5/7/2008

RE: All levels Under 18

Kevin M. of Johnson City, TN USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 18999

Good question [18999] Dave and somewhat okay responses. But I'd like more clarification, so if Dave would have told the Center that the 2 attackers in the offside position "impeded" the defenders then the flag should be raised. And how about the center's response about only applying offside when "related to a player who does not receive the ball but uses his offside position to create an advantage applies only in and around the goal area, not in the rest of the field of play." I didn't see this answered.
Thanks!

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Kevin, I believe we answered all the parts that were asked. In my opinion Dave should never have raised his flag for impeding! The ref was looking at the play and he just muddies the water by signalling because it translates like an offside signal. The centre ref’s opinion is illogical about applying it only in the goal area. If I block the vision of a goalie while standing in an offside position on the penalty mark for example, I should be declared offside. That is the LAW. How he came with limiting it to the goal area is a puzzle. Perhaps he was thinking that it is often in the goal area. I have a referee instructional dvd where a player was in an offside position near the sideline, about 35 meters upfield. He was not immediately penalised for being in that position until he "shielded" the ball allowing it to go out of bounds. Here is a case where a player takes advantage of being offside yet never touching the ball. AND he is a good 40 meters from the goal area!

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Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

I chose not to offer something on 18999 just to see what questions would arise from the field. Clearly impeding an opponent in the slightest manner is interfering with that opponent and because it was done by player who started from an offside position this must be a violation of Law 11 - Offside. Violations of Law 11 can manifest themselves ANYPLACE on the field not just in the goal area!!!

Anyplace, sheesh Chuck you've got to be kidding. No, says I, anyplace!!! The reason lies in Law 11 and in our reading of that Law we'll soon find that offside consists of two parts, position and something else [we'll call it activity]. Once established in an offside position at the touch of the ball by a team mate a player is prohibited, by Law 11, from being active no matter where he shall roam. Many times players established in offside positions have returned to their own half and without an intervening touch by one of their team mates played the ball or interfered with an opponent [an activity] and much to their amazement have been pulled up for offside.

Regarding a referee who thinks interfering with an opponent only applies to a goal area, he is not fully equipped for the task at hand, is he? A trip to a refresher or back into the books is warranted in his case, unless he got the incorrect information from a refresher. If that's the case we have different issues besides a referee being ill equipped, don't we?

Regards,

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Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I'm not sure what quibble you have with our answers. This was NOT an example of gaining an advantage. It was clearly an example of interferring with an opponent which the players in offside position did and should be sanctioned for it.

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