Question Number: 24854

Law 11 - Offside 4/26/2011

RE: Select (I think!). Adult

Peter Babbage of hjorring, Denmark asks...

This is not a recent event but one that has puzzled me for a while. I don't exactly remember the match but the goal-scorer was Van Nistelrooy, probably in The World Cup. It was a decision I would definitely have got wrong at the time!
He received the ball in what appeared to be an offside position and duly struck it into the net. I was amazed when a goal was awarded but a defender was off the f.o.p. behind the goal line with an injury that played him on-side.
Now accepting that it was the correct decision, how long is the injured defender deemed to be 'active'?
After all the ref. has no need to concern himself as he is off the f.o.p. However, he could have a serious injury which means he might be there for some minutes, possibly even receiving treatment there.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Peter
There was always an element of implied knowledge in Law 11 which deemed that a defending player moving off the field of play was to be considered on the goal line if he was behind the line or positioned on the FOP while off the FOP at the touchline. So the Van Nistelrooy goal award was correct.
IFAB has since confirmed that decision as correct by making the interpretation of Law 11 more explicit by stating
''" Any defending player leaving the field of play for any reason without the referee's permission shall be considered to be on his own goal line or touch line for the purposes of offside until the next stoppage in play. If the player leaves the field of play deliberately, he must be cautioned when the ball is next out of play""
Referees and ARs need to be alert to this and in the interest of fairness where there is a genuine injury it should be dealt with either by stopping play or acknowledging that the player is permitted to be off the FOP as soon as is practical. The player must then ask for permission to return. It also prevents a defender laying down 'injured' or stepping off the FOP or staying off the FOP to place attackers in an offside position.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

The referee does need to be concerned when there are players off the field without permission and not in the normal course of play. Why are they off the field?

A defender who leaves/steps off the field thinking he has cleverly placed an opponent in an offside position is attempting to cheat. The IFAB has made it very clear that referees are not to allow that. Neither are they to allow an attacker, who has momentarily stepped off the field from his offside position to show he is not involved, to suddenly become involved again to the surprise of the defense. Both behaviors are cautionable, because they are inherently unsporting.

Now, if the referee sees the player is injured and sees him limping or crawling off for treatment with a nod, then there is no cheating and no need to stop play for the injury, or to punish the player.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

This incident happened in Euro 2008 as I recall.

The player remains a player, and is counted for purposes of determining offside until the referee acknowleges an injury. Then, while he remains a player, he is off the field with the permission of the referee and cannot reenter without permission.

The defender off the end line did not immediately appear to be injured. In fact, he got there because his own goalkeeper pushed him there, to get him out of his sight lines.