Question Number: 15749

Law 11 - Offside 6/11/2007

RE: Select Adult

Tonia of Windham, NH USA asks...

What is the Restart on a Reversed Offside Call?

The AR flags an offside. The center ref fails to observe the call. The defense is pointing the ref to the AR to observe the offside call. The play continues and the AR puts down his flag with no acknowlegement by the ref. The ball goes into the goal.

The players tell the referee that the AR had already called offside about ten seconds earlier. The ref queries the AR whether there was an offside. The AR states he's not sure. The ref let the goal stand.

We all know that the AR should have never dropped his flag if the defending team did not regain clear posession of the ball. But, that aside, what should have happened next?

In my opinion, since offsides is the sole responsibility of the AR and is typically not overridden by the ref, that the flagging of the play was sufficient to be called a stoppage in play.

I believe the correct question from the ref should have been 'did you flag offsides?' If so, and the AR stood by his call, the correct restart would have been an indirect kick for the defending team.

If the AR did flag the offsides but later felt that he was in error, he had already made the call, so I would expect the restart to be a dropped ball at the location of the bad call.

I would not expect the call to be that the goal stands since the defense had already acted on the offsides call.

Ultimately the goal caused the opposing team to win the game by a single goal and to win the spot in the league because they won in head-to-head competition despite the fact that the losing team had the best statistical record of all teams competing for the spot.

What is your opinion on the call and what should have happened?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Tonia,
the referee never blew for offside but was thinking kick off or indfk in your option!
In truth a raised then lowered flag for offside is a mechanics death maneuver for an officiating team in these circumstances because of the sense of injustice that follows! However, players must NEVER EVER act on a flag signal ONLY the referee's whistle will stop play!! The flag communicates an opinion of the AR which the referee USUALLY follows but is NOT mandated to follow if he sees the play differently.

If the AR signaled offside and the referee ignored or did not see the raised flag the AR could have as you correctly pointed out stayed put with flag raised until acknowledged by the referee with a stoppage or a palmed wave off. If the opponent?s had recovered control and possession then the flag could have been lowered.

Decisions by the referee whether a goal is scored as a fact of play are undisputable.

Player?s dissent or comments are not likely to change a referee's mind. After any goal is scored the referee and ARs SHOULD look to each other to ensure there is nothing amiss. If the AR felt the goal was unjust then he should not move to a kick off position but stand and signal we need to talk! Here he could relate the missed offside flag earlier.

While a referee will not likely dismiss what info a neutral AR brings to him it is the referee's decision NOT the ARs whether the goal would stand or an INDFK out could be awarded

An AR who raises the flag to signal offside loses credibility if he waffles that he was not sure. ONLY if an AR is 100% sure it MUST be offside (no s by the way) does that flag go up! Any doubt we DO NOT raise it!

If I was referee and I asked my AR was there an offside infringement and he replied he was not sure, the goal would stand regardless of a raised then lowered flag!
If the AR was adamant and explained what occurred that Ihe did flag and there was an offside who it was and where and when it was I might disallow the goal and award the indfk out!

In either case you would not want to be present though in the post game debriefing when we go over this incident in minute detail!

Lesson here
Play the whistle!
PLAY the whistle!
PLAY THE whistle!
PLAY THE WHISTLE!!!!!!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The restart on a reversed offside decision is dropped ball because the whistle stopped play inadvertently. What you ask about Tonia is why isn't the assistants flag a play stopping event.

It usually prompts the referee to blow the whistle and stop play, but not always. The assistant's flag advises the referee that in the opinion of the assistant, play should be stopped. The assistant referee does not have the power to stop play like Law 5 gives the referee. In the scenario you open the assistant has advised the referee to stop play then changes his advice. This is not good because an inability to make a decision. It places the referee in a very bad position because he can't make a decision either!

Now the ball is in the net and the referee is forced to confer with an assistant about what he missed and is no longer there. The instant the assistant is the least bit indecisive the goal stands and the referee is forced into the untenable position of allowing a goal beyond a clear flag for offside. All of this because the assistant didn't follow written procedure. The Guide to Procedures for Referees, Assistant Referees and Fourth Officials tells the assistant, in America, exactly what to do when he sees an offside offense on page 19. The assistant, in your case, did not follow procedure.

Regards,