Question Number: 23277

Law 11 - Offside 5/8/2010

RE: travel Under 11

John of mishawaka , IN USA asks...

I am a coach in a u-10 league that has waved offside. I have no problem with it, but there are coaches who seem to have no honor in the game and place their players in that position to gain advantage. Placing a player in front of the goal and leaving her there all game. I know that there is nothing the ref can do if there is no rule on it. My thought is to allow a goal and slap the coach a yellow card for being unsportsmanlike. What are your thoughts on it? Maybe a couple of accidental whistles would stop it. we play 6v6

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi John
At 6 v 6 in U10 there IMO should be no offside. Certainly in the small side games that I officiate on offside is not played due to the age of the players and their lack of understanding of Law 11. It should be about fun. It is a matter for the competition organisers not the referee and I suggest that you should raise the matter at the relevant meetings. The referee enforces the Law and any competition rules that are set down by the organisers.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

This is why I don't like some of the small-sided rules. They encourage learning bad habits that are hard to break, and are incentives to 'cheat'. (I put that in quotes, because it's not cheating against the rules, but tends to be an affront to the game in situations like you cite.)

Although sometimes the consequences are exactly what the rule-modifiers have in mind. I recall one set of rules that eliminated the so-called 'passback' rule, where the rule stated, 'and they may repeat this as often as they wish.' Oh great, just tell them how to mess up the game, why don't you?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Age old question: play and reinforce the rules so the kids will learn them as they go along or do whathever
hurts their precious feelings the least.