Question Number: 28742

Law 11 - Offside 9/16/2014

RE: Under 19

adam wallace of sagae, yamagata japan asks...

apologies for monopolizing but i have another offside related question..
at a direct fkick from left of centre ,attacker stood next to the keeper on the left in offside position.
keeper had full view of ball,if it went straight or to the right.if the ball had gone to the keepers right ,does that mean that there would be no offside under new laws?
or could attacker be penalised for putting off the keeper and gaining advantage?
thanks again!

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Correct. Not offside. The player in offside position did nothing to interfere with the keeper's ability to see or play the ball. Just being there is not enough.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Adam
Feel free to ask as many questions as you wish
As described this is not offside. The player in an offside position has to do something more which can be touching the ball or interfering with an opponent which means challenging for the ball or clearly obstructing the opponent's line of vision. As neither of these happened in this case there is no offside.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Adam,
The site is geared to answering questions so you ask as often as you need, to find the answers you are looking for. I rather doubt you were looking for this response. Funny when I started this answer I had no idea the philosophical trail it could lead to. Must be a sign of age where I hope, before I pass on, some measure of what I value can benefit another.
That in someway, my small part in it, can be shared amongst the world. I apologize for the soliloquy and monopolizing your time as well Not a great deal of this answer pertains to offside but to restate the obvious no offside by way of presence alone! LOL

Keith Contarino was a colleague and it pained me greatly to be silent at the sidelines, unaware of his passing until well after. Perhaps a small measure of guilt assails the conscience, when we review our decisions in the post era, knowing we could have done better!

We enjoy encouraging referees to rethink their matches and review their actions. To make that extra effort to be a better referee than the day before. It does us good here to be a part of that! We share a love of the game and encourage the three Rs: respect for others; respect for self; and responsibility of actions, to be the testaments of the foundation of a solid official!

Ego is a facet of each referee! The desire to succeed, to understand there is competition among the official's to be selected and there will be politics to be played and perhaps sacrifices needed to get where it is you wish to go if indeed it is be a World Cup referee! Or simply to better enjoy the game at whatever level of achievement or satisfaction quality you care to aspire to.

The accountability of each individual is grafted to the gift of integrity which is the gift of self respect, you award yourself. Knowing it is a choice to act and to be held accountable for those actions! It is fostered in our belief system whereby a good official on the pitch, is often even a better person off of it!

I think you have what it takes to make your life on and off the pitch what you choose it to be. Cheers