Question Number: 17187

Law 9 - The Ball in and out of Play 10/8/2007

RE: AYSO Under 14

Blane of Isleta, NM US asks...

After reading question #15265 responses related to stopping play with a whistle my question comes from the following settting. A few weeks ago while refing a U14 AYSO game, an attacking team had a player in an offside position approx. 2 yds front and right of the goal keeper. Another attacking player with the ball takes a shot which is partially stopped by the keeper but still enters the the goal. I blew the whistle with offisde in mind. However reevaluating the situation, I saw that the offside player held position, did not attempt to play the ball, and in my opinion did not interfere the goal was good. Before restarting play I explained to both coaches my reason for allowing the goal. However, I do not clearly remember if I blew the whistle before or after the ball entered the goal. 1.) If the whistle was blown before the ball entered the goal, did this action void the goal? 2.)Did my interpretation and explanation to the coaches correct a potentially voided goal? 3.) If the goal was voided due to the whistle, and no foul occurred, does a restart take place with a drop ball where the ball was last touched by the attacking team? 4.) Even though the offside player did not attempt to play the ball, can proximity still constitute interference? Thanks.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

1) If the whistle was blown before the ball was over the line, no goal. You have stopped play; it can only resume with the appropriate restart. Who's to say whether or not the keeper ceased play because he heard your whistle?

2) Assuming play was not stopped before the goal scored, you were entirely correct in changing your mind on the whether the player was offside. The only way the player could have been considered partipating in play is if he would have interfered with the goalkeeper's sight or motion.

3) Dropped ball is correct, at the spot the ball was when the whistle was blown. If that spot is inside the goal area, then the spot is moved to the nearest point on the long edge of the goal area (the 6-yeard line).

4) Proximity without motion can still be interfering with an opponent. There was a training video shown in certification classes a few years ago where a player tried his best to not be involved in play by jumping out of the way of a ball headed through him toward the goal. Even so, he was offside because his position limited the goalkeeper's ability to get to the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

1. You blow the whistle, play stops and ball is dead. You do this before it entered. no goal. What's more, now you have an inadvertent whistle as you blew for offside but changed your mind. Now you must restart witha dropped ball where the ball was when you blew the whistle unless inside the goal area where it will come out to the six. 2. Not unless you blew the whistle AFTER the ball went in the net. You can explain to the coaches you are awarding the goal and you blew for offside AFTER the ball scored and now realise there was no offside. 3.see #1 4. Only if it somehow interferes with the keeper's line of sight or ability to get to the ball

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Surely you could have only blown it after the ball went in the goal? Don't second guess yourself - especially after you did such a nice job of convincing the coaches what you did was the right thing - and so it was.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Remember in the opinion of the referee he must see the offside positioned player actually do something. Even standing still his proximitey could still interfere as causing an opponent to be blocked from direct access to the ball or visionally impared from reacting as in restricting the line of sight of the keeper.

If your whistle sounded before the ball completely crossed the goal line under the crossbar between the posts then the ball is dead and no goal, drop ball outer edge of the 6 yard area is the appropriate technical restart. A whistle creates a freeze of play action.

That said if you held the whistle the ball did enter the goal,whistle goes but you changed your mind on the restart indfk offside versus kick-off goal you as referee can do so as law 5 allows.

Decisions of the Referee
The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play are
final.
The referee may only change a decision on realising that it is incorrect or, at his discretion, on the advice of an assistant referee, provided that he has not restarted play or terminated the match.

A referee could sell a decision where perhaps he was a bit quick on the whistle. Even at the elite level seen a whistle for a dogso handles the ball deliberately which rebounded out and back in off a knee just as the whistle went ! Referee mulled it over eventually awarded goal and no send off.

Yet in another I saw a dfk foul of dogso where if advantage was played there was a goal. The whistle sounded just before the ball crossed the goal line. No goal, player sent off (keeper actually) free kick awarded. Both referees were in thick at the post game for not eating the whistle in both cases!
Cheers

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

See Question: 17961