Question Number: 29463

Law 11 - Offside 6/5/2015

RE: Rec Adult

Simon from down under of underwood, queensland Australia asks...

This question is a follow up to question 29351

I have a question, about a player being in an offside position, but is he interfering with play? I had a good view of it, and made a decision. But what would you do?

The ball was run up by a Blue player near the AR, towards the Red penalty area. The GK was over towards the goal post closest to the AR side. The ball was kicked from just outside the PA, at a position between the front corner (18 yards from goal line) and the edge of penalty arc. The ball travelled at an angle across the PA, to just inside the goal post, furthest away from the AR side.

Now imagine another blue player standing on this path, where this path crosses the goal box (6-yard box). He is facing the ball, and the ball would hit him, so he lifts his leg closest to the goal line and the ball travels under it to the goal. He did not touch the ball. The GK, was on the other side of the goal mouth, moving across towards the other post along the goal line, but stops halfway when the ball passes this offside player.
This was similar to the incident in the 5th round of FA Cup (Feb 2015) Preston North End v Manchester United (at (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nptwXLDrxSs). If you stop this at 2:55 min, the ball is just passing ROONEY. In my case the ball was kicked from where white No 3 was, and the GK was a few yards nearer the other goal post. The offside player is a few more yards closer to the AR than ROONEY. The discussions about what is significant have been around, has he touched the ball (no), has he blocked the view of the ball to the defender (GK), no. But the defender has reacted to his presence, and his action, I assume the GK thinks he was going to kick the ball other way.
Is this interfering with play, and an IDFK or a goal?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Simon
The questions are
1. Did the player in an offside position touch the ball? - No
2. Did the player in an offside position interfere with the goalkeeper line of sight to the ball? No
3. Did the player in an offside position challenge an opponent? No
So there is no offside and the goal is good.
The difficulty here is that there was a time when it could be seen as deceives and distract an opponent with offside being called. That is no longer the case yet many still see this as offside due to the position of the player and his closeness to the ball and the old interpretations.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Simon,
the clip was a good goal, not a hint of offside as
there was no physical touch of the ball
there was no challenge for the ball
and the keeper's line of sight was not impeded or blocked.

In trying to render a mental picture for your situation, although it appears the ball went under the PIOP the keeper was tracking the ball across the goal so he had an open view of the ball direction. His line of sight was NOT blocked as if he had been in behind the PIOP. Sounds like a good goal to me !

My colleague is correct during the last change to the definition of "interfering with an opponent" IFAB removed all references to acts that "deceives or distracts an opponent." so we are no longer overly concerned with mere presence of an opponent affecting the play of the opponents.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee MrRef

Hi Simon,

INTERFERING what the law now says

'interfering with play' means playing or touching the ball passed or touched by a team-mate.

'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 challenging an opponent for the ball.

GAINING AN ADVANTAGE - what the law now says

'Gaining an advantage by being in that position' means playing a ball

1.That rebounds or is deflected to him off the goal post, crossbar or an opponent having been in an offside position.
2.That rebounds, is deflected or is played to him from a deliberate save by an opponent having been in an offside position.
3.A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent, who deliberately plays the ball (except from a deliberate save), is not considered to have gained an advantage


Amendments to the Laws of the Game

PRIOR to MAY 2013 the LOTG read as follows
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
OLD WORDING((((or movements or movements or gestures or movements which, in the opinion of the referee deceives or distracts an opponent.))))

NEW WORDING {{{{{or challenging an opponent for the ball.}}}}

Cheers

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 29464