Question Number: 28509

Law 11 - Offside 6/16/2014

RE: all Other

Richard Dawson of Edmonton, Alberta Canada asks...

First off a warm hello salutations to the gang at ASKTHEREF. I see your efforts continue and thank you for your hard work , time and dedication.
I remain as interested in football as ever and miss the days when Chuck, Keith and I were enmeshed in heated debates about the pros and cons of the site and its direction. It is obvious that many individuals continue to glean the insights , value and knowledge you all share. So good on you all I hope life and family are good!
Still I remain as opinionated as ever lol about football although open to hearing divergent views lol
Before it looks like I am trashing the WC officials, Please know I am awed at the level of refereeing and standard of play despite by misgivings on a few calls. I can not in good conscious sit idly by though and not comment on the offside a topic near and dear to Chuck and I many years ago.
In the Mexico match versus Cameroon at the 2014 WC the same AR incorrectly called off TWO legitimate goals. The corner kick was the most grievous as it seems a lack of knowledge rather than poor positioning. Do you think he should be not allowed to officiate at these WC??
The Mexican player who had scored BOTH was robbed of the right to have his efforts recorded and be in the running for golden boot as well as the accolades that come with success!


In the Swiss versus Ecuador match I watched again as a perfectly good goal was taken away in around the 69th minute. Overhead camera angle clearly shows positioning of the defender and attacker, the dummy by the other Swiss participant and the ARs DREADFUL positioning. Now I have a deep understanding that errors are part of a human characteristic and while I KNOW these errors may not be deliberate (at least I hope the pay offs and bribes and threats made to get results by the unscrupulous are kept away) ! FIFA has implemented goal line tech where a signal is transmitted to the referee WHEN a ball has crossed the goal line. More goals are incorrectly prevented or caused by the incorrect offside call then a missed ball into the goal. If getting it right is a REASON to implement goal line tech then do you think FIFA should freeze frame the offside moments and transmit the data to the referee to at least confer when good goals are unfairly disqualified by poor judgement or a missed offside results in a unfairly awarded goal?


The CARDINAL rule for AR is STAY with the second last defender and when in doubt do not wave it (the flag) about. Offside is the ARs most game changing influencing decisions and while I support the concept of the centre referee accepting the information I am no longer convinced as the validity of unquestioning obedience to a flawed protocol! It is time to embrace definitive technology to get it right more often and limit the errors that can CLEARLY be seen. I hold there could always be given situations where a camera and technology do not capture a clear yes or no. One can look to Esse and the Pk in France where he was in fact correct despite no clear evidence he was wrong as a referee decision on a fact of play to know a slippery slope when overriding decisions via technology but what can one do to eliminate these offside errors that clearly can be corrected????

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Richard
Great to hear from you and thank you for your warm wishes. Hope you are keeping well
When the great soccer family comes together every four years officials of all descriptions from all parts of the globe participate. I watched a very excitable, animated assistant in the France v Honduras game. He did not conform to my 'belief' as to how an AR should react or behave. I suppose that in all families there are different abilities, characters etc. We embrace them in that diversity
Now on the Mexican offside decisions I believe that on the corner kick one the AR incorrectly believed that the ball was headed on by a Mexican forward. Had that been the case it might have been hailed as a great decision. Unfortunately he got it wrong and so did the referee as IMO he had to see the touch was off a defender.
On the first offside speed was the deciding factor and perhaps the occasion got to the AR by making the call on what looked like offside in real time. A sort of how could a player receive the ball 4 yards in on offside position and be onside moment.
On the technology piece the game has a long ways to go to embrace it in a way that meets all the stakeholders requirements. The stakes are now just too high and the media unfortunately continues to scrutinise every single decision of the match officials with a focus on those that have been incorrect. I also think that players' behaviour has not helped with a great degree of play acting, feigning fouls etc. that has added significantly to the challenge for referees.
On offside I think it is now dated thinking and never intended as currently implemented. I would like to see offside limited to situations where play has moved out by the defending team leaving forward positioned offside. There is no need in the modern game for offside calls like both in the Mexico game even if they were both correct. It is taking away goal scoring opportunities which are badly needed.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Welcome back.
The lessons from World Cup events for referees is usually: why? Was it the AR's positioning, focus, or mechanics that forced the error? In the second disallowed goal, I think it was mechanics. You have to be sure that the ball was deflected by a teammate to raise the flag. Otherwise, remain still and ask the referee, who headed the ball? The referee should have the best view on who touched; the AR has the best view on positioning. If a teammate, the AR can inform the referee and the referee will disallow the goal. On the first goal, I think it was positioning; a few centimeters off position will make a player who is onside appear off.

All ARs have made these kinds of mistakes, and the speed and skill of the players at the World Cup make them inevitable. (Note: FIFA removed the AR from the next WC assignment.)

Perhaps some day we will see video replay for goals. That would really encourage the flag to stay down when in doubt.