Question Number: 26789

Law 11 - Offside 9/18/2012

RE: Rec Under 11

Tracy of Pleasant Hill, California USA asks...

My question is in regards to Offside. As a new ref who never played the game this past weekend I was the AR. One of the attacking team players brought the ball all the way down the field by himself never passing to one of his own players. The attacker was by the goal and did not have a shot. The attacking player then turned his back to the goal and passed the ball back up field to one of his players who was in proper position on the other side of two other defenders. The player who received the pass then took a shot on goal and made it. The center ref called the player who originally brought the ball down the field and passed the ball to the player who shot the goal offside. The reason for the call was that the attacker who originally brought the ball down field and passed it got behind the ball as he passed it back upfield to one of his players. The player who brought the ball down the field moved out of play and did not interfer with the ball after he passed it. I want to learn and understand if this was the right call.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Tracy
This reads to me like an incorrect offside call by the center referee from what you describe. The only way that it can be offside is if the player who passed the ball back to the scoring team mate subsequently interfered with an opponent while in an offside position on the shot.
?Interfering with an opponent? means preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent?s line of vision or movements in this case the goalkeeper or making a gesture or movement which, in the opinion of the referee, deceives or distracts an opponent. From your description that does not appear to have happened.
Also as he moved the ball to that position himself he cannot be offside and as he is kicking the ball backwards to a team mate who is behind the ball that cannot be offside either.
I would like to think that the CR did not award the offside simply because the player kicking the ball back to his team mate was ahead of the ball when he did so by simply turning around ahead of the ball and then standing in an offside position??
So I'm not surprised you question this call as it seems patently incorrect.
As an aside, as a new referee do not feel afraid to question the referee or ask questions. It is only through asking questions that we all learn. The only person who truly knew what he called was the referee. If he told you that he called the offside because the player was directly in line with the goalkeeper and the ball in an offside position then it would be clear.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Let's break this down into pieces.

The player who is dribbling the ball A-1 is not in offside position while dribbling because he was behind the ball the last time it would touched by a teammate.

The player who is behind A-2 is not in offside position when A1 passes the ball because A-2 is behind the ball at the moment of the pass.

When A2 touches the ball, A1 IS in offside position. But, it is not an offense to be in offside position. So, A1 must do something to infringe the offside law.

The simplest way for A1 to infringe the offside law is to touch the ball after A2 shoots (Interfering with play). But, this did not happen. The issue for the referee (and assistant referee) is whether A1 interfered with the goalkeeper's ability to see or play the ball (Interfering with a Defender). That is conceivable if A1 was near the goalkeeper or if A1 was directly between A2 and the goalkeeper.

The referee erred if the decision was that simply because of A1's position, the goalkeeper was confused. That is not enough. A1 must do something that interferes with the keeper's ability to see or play the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Unless you're leaving something out, I fail to see how this could possibly be an offside offense. The initial attacker may now be in an offside position but that is not an offense and you say he moved out of the way and did not interfere with the ball. Unless he somehow blocked the keepers line of sight, he should not have been flagged for an offside offense.

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