Question Number: 20672

Law 11 - Offside 12/15/2008

RE: USSF 08 Adult

David Ogrin of New Braunfels, Texas USA asks...

This has to do with AR mechanics on potential offside plays.

When a defending team plays a 'flat back' trapping type strategy quite often an attacking plaer is in the offside position. Many times a long high lofted ball is played toward the keeper.

If the ball goes in it is a goal. If the ball rebounds off the keeper or the goal it offside. If the ball if fumbled by the keeper around the goal line we have a potential mess.

The question is this, does the AR hold his spot on the sideline ready to raise his flag for the offside or does he mentally mark the spot and haul buns toward the goal line just in case somebody has to call a ball in or out of the goal?

If you are hauling to the goal line and have to call offside does it look bad to have to come back upfield? Does staying with the second to last defender or the ball trump all other options?

Just want to get this the best I can. Thanks.

David

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

When involvement in play by an offside-positioned player is in doubt, the AR should follow ongoing play. That way if there is no offside offense, or if there is a later offside offense, the AR will be in position.

This means the AR has to remember where the offside-positioned player was at the time of the last touch/play by a teammate. But when you stop to think about it, that's not much different than what we have to do for any offside call. Unless the attacker and 2nd to last defender are very close to each other, the site of the restart for offside will NOT be where the AR was positioned. She will have to move to where the attacker was when the offside position was determined. Sometimes that is a number of yards.

And, in most cases, exact position for an offside outbound IFK isn't that important. Whether you're 60 yards or 80 yards away from your goal on an IFK doesn't matter much.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The AR should be even with the next to last opponent or the ball whichever is nearer the opponent's goal. It is stressed at recertifications and assessments for the AR to always run with the ball all the way to the corner flag. If there's a possible prior offside offense the AR has to remember where the offside player was when the ball was last played by a teammate. He goes back to that position then signals the appropriate place for the IDFK. But if he doesn't stay with the ball, he may miss an offside offense, a ball going out of play, a foul, or at the worst, a goal that only he would be in position to see or not see from his position.
All that said, let me quibble with a statement you made. You said that if a long ball is played, and an opponent is in offside position, that it's a goal if the ball goes into the net. You are basing this, I guess, on the fact that the offside positioned player didn't play the ball. Since he didn't play the ball he's not interfering with play but he could have been interfering with an opponent. If the player in offside position is blocking the keeper's view of the ball, he could be flagged for offside even if he's simply standing there because if he blocks the line of sight of the keeper, he's interfered with an opponent. To quibble further, you say if the ball rebounds off the goal or the keeper it's offside. That's true only if it rebounds to the player initially in offside position when the ball was played. A problem with offside traps is they often trap one player but there could easily be another attacker or 2 that were onside when the ball was played and if it rebounds to one of them who may now be in offside position, there's no offense as they were onside when the ball was played. the AR must be very alert when a team plays an offside trap.

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