Question Number: 35284

Law 3 - The Players 12/15/2023

RE: Adult

Peter Byrne of Sale, Cheshire England asks...

As a retired football referee I often get in discussions on the laws of football.
Recently, I was asked - if a player deliberately runs off the field of play to pass an opponent after kicking and keeping the ball in play, what is the correct decision.
I thought it was an indirect free kick and potentially a caution for deliberately leaving the field of play.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Peter
Thanks for the question. Great to be able to discuss the laws of the game.
The answer to your question is that there is absolutely NO offence and play continues. It has been that way for a very long time.
Back in 1985 this was the advice in the Laws and I quote
**A player in possession of the ball passes over the touch line or the goal line without the ball in order to beat an opponent. What action does the referee take?
Play continues. Going outside the field of play may be considered as part of a playing movement, but players are expected, as a general rule, to remain within the playing area.**

The current Law 3 wording reflects that and it states
**A player who crosses a boundary line as part of a playing movement does not commit an offence.**

Player are entitled as part of a playing movement to go off the field of play to go around opponents. Sure is it really any different in taking a corner kick or a throw in? Indeed one will never see any offence called for a player going off the field of play as part of playing. It happens a lot with momentum with players keeping the ball in play yet not being able to stop going over a boundary line either deliberately to go around opponents or by momentum.

It is only an offence when the leaving of the field of play is not connected with a playing movement and perhaps done for unsporting reasons in which case it can be a caution.
For instance stepping off the field of play to try to place opponents in an offside position. The offending player is still factored into the offside decision and it is a caution for USB at the next stoppage.

There will be times when say a player is stood off the field of play say at a corner kick. The referee should insist that the player is positioned on the field of play before the kick is taken without the need for a card. Being in such a position is not considered part of playing movement and is part of the general rule that players remain on the field of play.

In the past I have seen super picky referees caution players for going into the technical area at a stoppage for say a drink of water. The law is there to bring order yet only nefarious reasons for leaving need to be carded.

I might add that if an offence is committed against the player who has moved off the field of play as part of a playing movement such as holding, pushing, tripping the restart is a direct free kick on the boundary line or a penalty kick if it happens over the goal line inside the penalty area. You will recall a time back in the day when it was a drópped ball yet that is now gone.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Peter,
appreciate the question.
The LOTG are very clear, as long as the player exiting is doing so as part of the playing conditions such as momentum, avoiding a collision, attempting to challenge along the touchlines or goal lines, to show non involvement these are considered as acceptable circumstances while playing the game. We all recognize you likely need to exit to retrieve a ball to restart. Be off the FOP at the taking of a corner kick or throw in.

It gets a bit more stretched if they exit to get water or wander into technical areas to receive instructions

You can not exit to screen your runs, like cutting in behind those along the touchline off the FOP then spring back in further down field as a surprise. These sort of actions take us deep into cautionable waters as well as free kick territory for USB.

I have had injured players drag themselves off in behind play as well, They should not but as referee we do not look to punish benign actions like getting help or a drink . Yet it is important to grasp that during ongoing play, for the purposes off offside, they are held accountable as bring on the FOP, when they act without our knowledge or permission!

A player who scoots off to get a drink , receive treatment in behind play is treated as if on the field of play. If a player requested to exit to say fix equipment, say blood on shirt switch and the referee granted permission, then he is NOT part of offside deliberations. The CR could delegate the AR or 4h to give a permission to come back on once he is ready or request he wait until the CR does so themself.

Defenders can not exit to -NOT- be the 2nd last opponent, where as an offside opponent could step out in theory to show he or she is NOT involved in ACTIVE play so they are not receiving an INDFK against them. Yet the attackers can not exit the FOP to run around the netted area, trying to backdoor defenders or lose a defender in active play or on a corner/free kick!

I concur with my colleague Ref McHugh although they should ask when a player needs your permission just give it, even after the fact, when it matters not! BUT, when it does matter, because it was done with malice or deception then rescind that offer and if a warning is not sufficient do as the LOTG dictate which is to caution show the yellow card and either restart or if during play, award a free kick.
Merry Christmas mate! Cheers