Question Number: 23440

Law 11 - Offside 6/8/2010

Doug of Cincinnati, Ohio US asks...

This question is a follow up to question 23424

Thanks for the clear as mud difference of opinion on the way to handle the situation described in this question. I had something similar happen recently in a game. As I began to read your individual responses I felt like I had made the correct decision in my game as AR even though almost all of the spectators and coaches from the team I called offside disagreed with my call. As I read through all four responses I began to doubt my decision. Help! You all obviously do not agree on the proper call for the situation described in the original question here.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Doug
Did you really expect to get a black and white answer to such a scenario. Unless I can view the actual event I can only give an opinion which tries to cover the situation described. Interfering with an opponent unless there is contact is always a subjective call and it depends on the opinion of the AR on the day based on the circumstances presented such as speed of the ball, distance between the players, skill levels etc. Diagrams 8 & 9 page 106 of the Laws of the Game shows two pretty similar situations. Diagram 8 is not an offside offence while Diagram 9 is.
In the situations where the ball is going back to the goalkeeper many times the flag will not be raised as the player in an offside position even though he/she may be still following the ball has not interfered with an opponent nor is there is a risk of a collision between the players so no offside offence. If on the other hand the GK kicks the ball hurriedly, under pressure from an attacker who was in an offside position when the ball was last touched by a team mate, it is offside should the PIOP charge the ball down or interfere with the GKs playing of the ball. If however the GK makes a rickets of a clearance and miskicks the ball to the PIOP who has not interfered with the GK's playing of the ball that IMO is not offside but rather a playing error by the GK. That is the differences suggested by the panel. The Ref/AR chooses based on the circumstances and his /her experience. You chose to call offside and I suspect if it is like the situation described it was IMO the correct call. Another AR on another day may view it that the GK had loads of time to control the ball and clear the ball but chose the wrong option which went pearshaped and offside is not there to make up for player error.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

We do our best to try to envision the situation presented in words. All of us, panelists and our readers, form a different impression in our minds of what happened. Not seeing the exact scenario, we make some assumptions and present alternatives for the referee's decision.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

You were there, you had the criteria to judge the event in your head and you made a decision. The decision was unpopular with one team. This is not news - we're never more than half right, you know! That does not mean you made the wrong decision. A good referee is always questioning whether they made the right choice or not and will review it mentally later to see if they could do better. Sounds like what you are doing - bravo!

What we try to do is help referees figure out the gray areas. It may seem like it is muddy, but that's the game. It is all shades of gray.

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

See Question: 23449