Question Number: 15861

Law 11 - Offside 6/22/2007

RE: Select High School

Brian Bennett of Tulsa, OK USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 15820

So, isn't this the crux of the matter in the USA v Canada Gold Cup semifinal controversy?

Is the establishment of offside position when the Canada attacking player passed the ball forward or when the USA defender deflected it with his head.

I believe it is clear that the USA player in no way was intentionally backpassing the ball to that area with control.

Was the Canadian attacker in offside position when the pass from his teammate was made? No.

Was he when the ball was headed by the USA player? Yes.

When is position established for the infraction call?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Brian,
the law is VERY, VERY, CLEAR offside position is based on the LAST touch of the ball by a TEAM MATE !
A deflection of the ball off an opponent changes nothing with regards to attacking offside positions previously established at the time of last attacker's touch.

If the AR saw the Canadian attacker offside positioned at the last touch whether or not we think he was or was not is inconsequential. If the AR saw the header as ONLY a deflection of the opponent then he was correct to raise his flag!

As a Canadian fan I was P Ode no doubt in my mind this was a legit goal unfairly taken away. I saw Red card in the Bogra foul and at least one other poor offside call. So much for armchair refereeing.

I felt as an official the referee did well and the match had no real complaints regarding the outcome. Happy with the yellow for Donny's dive and the red to Bradley. The PK against us was fully justified and lucky to escape with only a caution.

I would like to have seen OT but thought the 4 minutes of added time was pretty reasonable I thought only 3 or so would be the call. We were down 2 to zip a tough way to win matches for sure.

It was stated by a reporter not FACTUALLY but as an article the AR felt the deflection was off a Canadian attacker not an American defender which placed the attacker offside. While this is an error it might explain the call better than determining the attacker was offside positioned earlier. I thought the whistle might have gone before the goal and an INDFK out was better than a dropball even if the refere felt they might be wrong. A whistle sounds and the USA keeper relaxes.

Whether or not the call was correct it is final and disappointed though I maybe, bitter I am not! Good luck USA in the final!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I didn't see this but offside is only considered at the moment the ball is played or touched by a teammate. My understanding of the controversy is if the ball was controlled by the USA or deflected. If deflected to a Canadian player that was in offside position when the ball was played by his teammate, then it's an offside infraction. If the US player controlled the ball there can be no offside as the ball was now played by an opponent to the Canadian that was in offside position.