Question Number: 24406

Law 11 - Offside 12/6/2010

RE: Recreational Adult

Peter Babbage of Hjorring, Denmark asks...

I'm a little puzzled concerning the disallowed 'goal' by Carlos Tevez in the week-end's game with Bolton.
The ball was played through into the area. Gareth Barry was in an offside position. He made a slight movement towards the ball but then let it run to David Silva, who was definately onside. He cut it back to Tevez who stroked it into the net.Laughably the pundits said it couldn't be a goal because the defence stopped playing!! Seriously though, surely if Barry didn't actually touch the ball, the goal should have stood.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Peter
The great offside debate on interfering with an opponent or was it just a mistake by the AR who assumed that Barry in fact through his movement actually touched the ball or indeed just an early incorrect flag. Another situation happened in the Aston Villa v Birmingham City where a Birmingham player was on the goal line in a clear offside position and the GK spilled the ball over the line. Darren Cann, of WC Final AR fame, signalled for offside? Again it was clearly shown that the B'Ham player did not touch the ball nor did he interfere with an opponent? Did DC think that the B'ham City player interfered with the GK or through his view did he think that there was contact with the ball.
In Law both goals should have stood yet the debate rages as to what defines 'interfering with an opponent' so that it can be interpreting uniformly.
In the US it is less likely to happen given the greater requirement to touch the ball and therefore interfere with play. In the UK I have noticed the senior group of ARs flag for offside too early and they use IFABs directive 987 which states that a player in an offside position may be penalised before playing or touching the ball if, in the opinion of the referee, no other team-mate in an onside position has the opportunity to play the ball. Because they use it much too frequently and not for the purpose that it was intended incidents such as this can and do happen.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

When it was decided the ball had to be touched in order for 'interfering with play' to occur, it was anticipated much of the inconsistency in offside calls would be done away with.

Not the case. Now, ARs are coming up with new and inventive ways to decide 'Interfering with an opponent' has occurred.

Will be some time before this is all worked out.