Question Number: 12577

Law 11 - Offside 4/17/2006

Jon of London, UK asks...

This question is a follow up to question 12454

Bill Shankley once said: "If your not interferring with play what the hell are you doing on the pitch?"

This sums up the changes or, sorry, new interpretation of the offside law. This weekend saw Liverpool win a game because of a decision that two people in the stadium thought was correct...the CR and his assistant. Now i dont like getting at our own at all, but our job has been made a lot harder with the changes and we will and are coming under fire for it.

the game: Fowler passed ball to Cisse who was in offside position, he stepped over the ball in the area allowing it to run for Morientes who started onside who squared back to Fowler who scored. How in any way shape or form is a step over not interferring with play?! it is, in fact, playing the ball!

I just don't like a perfectly good law being developed into a controversial one that will put us under fire.

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Yes, and then he pulled it back, put up both arms and allowed the ball to run through. There were no defenders within 3 yards of him, three stood with their arms in the air waiting for the assistant's flag and referees whistle to no avail. Play was allowed to run and rightfully so because he didn't touch the ball. He didn't interfere because the defenders arms were up before his right leg moved. They committed to acting like referees instead of defending against the midfielder attacking through. They were caught not understanding what the first line of Law 11 reads.

He did not interfere with play, he did not touch the ball. He did not interfere with the opponents, they turned into referees. End of story.

What would you do if Cisse was in front of an open goal and did the same thing?

International FA Board Decision 2 of Law 11 was added because offside has been incorrectly given that something needed doing. In adopting this decision the Board has said, people this is how offside should be understood and this is when we will give offside. Not everyone in the world understood offside, thankfully more referees apply the Law correctly since 1 July 2005. Not all referees have understood what the board wants, but they are becomming the minority. Those referees can still argue, successfully in their own eyes, why we should give Cisse offside.

Regards,

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 12660