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Soccer Referee Questions on Soccer Rules

You-Call-It 72

Question...

Red team is pressing, behind a goal, their 2nd last defender is completely inside the Blue teams half of the field. A blue striker aware that they are vulnerable to a counter attack runs parallel along the midline stepping on the line each time hoping to turn the moment a through ball should appear. Low and behold a ball is released and he turns up field in pursuit. He angry when the AR raises the flag indicating offside and yells his frustration claiming it is IMPOSSIBLE for him to be offside as he was inside his own half before he broke cover. What could the AR know that our striker does not? Was this a legitimate offside? Was this a trifling or doubtful offside? Is the AR in error or was this an easy by the book decision?

Our Hint

trifling & doubtful are NOT one and the same they are very different

Our Answer...

Certain things are immutable.

If a ball goes OVER into touch PLAY stops BECAUSE by the LOTG the ball is NO LONGER IN PLAY! If the CR or AR or 4th sees this event as a 100% occurrence they will make it known by signalling to stop play.

It is a DUTY!
It is NOT a decision they can just ignore!

When the ball is under the crossbar between the posts and has COMPLETELY crossed the 5 inch goal line, by the LOTG it is a GOAL, unless the team that benefits from the score has violated the LOTG. Yet to be validated there must be 100% recognition by the CR, AR or VAR or technological signalling that it is so! NO referee should GUESS, either YES I saw it or I can not be sure so it did not, EVEN IF it did. As a neutral, fair, impartial aspect of officiating it can be determined no other way. Technology may correct an incorrect assumption but integrity is a character trait, it not a legality.

Given we are talking about offside you may well wonder why the harangue about a ball in or out of play?
Is offside a trifling event?
Can a ball be just a little out into touch?
Actually no, if you SEE it then you raise the flag, get on the walkie talkie or blow the whistle because by the LOTG play is to be stopped and a restart provided.
What offside is, same as a ball in or out of play, it can be doubtful and if so then it does not occur!

ANY playable body part that is closer to the opposing goal line than the 2nd last opponent when a ball is last touched by a team mate is a GO for offside position if that body part is over the 5 inch mid line that separates the 2 sides.

If you can verify positively, that a PIOP has been INVOLVED in active play by interfering with play or an opponent you raise the flag / blow the whistle because if a goal results from the actions of an offside player it is an unfair goal.

DOUBTFUL ok, keep the flag down, but it is NOT trifling and MUST NOT BE IGNORED!
A little bit out, a little bit offside, is not a reason to ignore!

That was our Question YOUR Answer is...

AskTheref.com Educating and Amusing The Soccer Referee Since October 11, 1999

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Soccer Referee Extras
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Offside Question?

Offside Explained by Chuck Fleischer & Richard Dawson, Former & Current Editor of AskTheRef

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