OFFSIDE WHEN DEFENDER PASSES BALL BACK?

April 9, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
If a defender in full possession of the ball, passes the ball deliberately backward (ie no glancing or rebound) with the intention of passing back to the goalkeeper, and in so doing passes to an opponent from the attacking team who would, if the pass had come from an attacking team mate, have been standing in an offside position at the time of the pass from the defender, with the clear intention of interfering with play (and indeed going onto score so actually interfering with play), is the attacking player in an offside position?

In a recent Champions League game (Manchester United v FC Porto April 7th), this was demonstrated when Wayne Rooney, who was standing clearly in an offside position between the last defender and the goalkeeper in anticipation of the pass back, took possession of the ball by virtue of the pass and went onto score. He was in my opinion, not only (a) standing in an offside position when the ball was played (b) interfering with play by taking possession of the ball (c) preventing an opponent from taking possession of the ball by intercepting the ball in an offside position.

All of the Rules and interpretations I have seen phrase the consideration of an offside offence in terms of passes accurately or erroneously made by the attacking team and falling inadvertently (by rebound or deflection) or deliberately to a team mate who may or may not be in an offside position. Or they deal with an opponent defending a set piece goal kick. They do not deal with a deliberate pass by a defender to an opposition player who may be in a conventional offside position at the time the ball is played.

Could you tell me what should be the correct interpretation of this situation? Is an attacking player never offside if a defender passes directly to the attacker who would otherwise be standing in an offside position, by virtue of the defender having passed (inadvertently one assumes) to him?

USSF answer (April 9, 2009):
In short, yes. But perhaps we should give you more information on the matter.

A player may stand in an offside position for the entire game and never be called offside if he or she is not involved in play. And that, in turn, requires that the ball last be played by a teammate. If the ball was last possessed and played by an opponent, as in your scenario, there can be no offside.

We are concerned about possession of the ball in such cases, not in accuracy of passes. If by accuracy you mean that the opposing defender took a wild swing at the ball and it glanced off him to the player in the offside position, that would not negate the call of offside, as the opposing player never had possession of the ball.…

Law 18 - Common Sense

COACH’S INSTRUCTIONS TO PLAYERS

April 9, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
In a recent youth league (U10) our opponents used a tactic where to prevent a quick quick after a foul the coach instructed his players to line up within the required distance and “have the referee move you” Although you have answered a similar question, my question was if the coach is deliberately instructing players in an illegal tactic should the referee address the coach or the players? Also is each player involved cautioned or a single player cautioned (In the event the referee decides to issue a caution–At this level I’m sure rule 18 may imply some instruction first before penalty). I wanted to provide some (correct) insight in my referee report (we evaluate our referees and i take my role seriously to give them correct feedback so that they can improve).

USSF answer (April 9, 2009):
The referee cannot act on incomplete information. Unless the referee or one of the other officials hears the coach issue such instructions and judges that act to be irresponsible behavior, it did not happen. Unless a coach is inciting to riot, we can’t really penalize coaches for bad advice or bad judgment or ignorance of the Law — only players who make the mistake of taking the coach’s advice. If that is the way the coach is seeking to delay, then so be it. It either works or it doesn’t. In this case, this becomes a function of the referee’s knowledge of the Law, feel for the game, and competitive level of the match. No referee should hesitate to card a player for failure to retreat the required distance (FRD) — where it made a difference — despite the tactics of the coach, because it is the player doing it.

As to cautioning the players who are failing to withdraw the required distance from the spot of the restart, the referee should not issue cards willy-nilly, but should caution whichever player or players need the caution so that the referee can get the job done. This follows the fundamental principle of doing the LEAST necessary to accomplish the desired result. Usually, it only takes one, which is why we advise referees when faced with this sort of situation to single out ONE player by number and demand enforcement. THAT’s the player who gets the card if there isn’t compliance. Technically, of course, ALL players are subject to the same discipline. Whom do you single out? Doesn’t matter– though we would tend not to pick someone who had already been cautioned IF the prior caution was for something other than FRD. Now if it had been for FRD, hammer the sucker!).…

Law 11 - Offside

SEND OFF SUBSTITUTE FOR DENYING OGSO?

April 8, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
during play a substitute player came onto the filed of play and disaollowed an obvious goal scoring oppurtunity in the penalty area .what should be the referee’s decision…….and if that happens to be the substitute goal keeper by disallowing that goal with his hands in the penalty area.

USSF answer (April 8, 2009):
Yes, this can be done. According to the IFAB/FIFA Q&A 2006-07, Law 3:

13. A substitute, warming up behind his own goal, enters the field of play and prevents the ball entering the goal with his foot. What action does the referee take?
The referee stops play, cautions the substitute for unsporting behavior and the match is restarted with an indirect free kick to the opposing team where the ball was when play was stopped *.
13.1. If the player prevents the goal with his hand, what action does the referee take?
The referee stops play and sends-off the substitute for denying the opposing team a goal by deliberately handling the ball and the match is restarted with an indirect free kick to the opposing team where the ball was when play was stopped *.

The answer is also found in FIFA training materials from 2006:

Denying a Goal or a Goal-Scoring Opportunity
It is not necessary that the offense which denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity be a direct free kick foul
– It could be an indirect free kick foul (dangerous play)
– It could also be misconduct
• Example: goalkeeper bends the crossbar down far enough that the ball does not go into the net
• Example: a substitute illegally enters the field and trips an attacker who has a clear shot on goal
• Example: a defender uses the shoulders of a teammate to lift himself higher to head the ball away

…

Uniform-Ref

REFEREE HEADSETS

April 7, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
What is USSF policy on the use of headsets in non-MLS matches? Is their use permitted by officiating crews? If so, what information should be transmitted over them, and should transmissions be encrypted?

USSF answer (April 7, 2009):
The headsets are considered to be part of the referee uniform and their use requires the permission of the Referee Committee. If headsets are used, the only information that should be exchanged among the officiating crew would be game-related. And unless the refereeing crew wished to share the information with the world, encryption would be appropriate.…

"Inventive" Refs

SCORE GOAL AFTER WHISTLE?

April 7, 2009April 7, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
in a recent high school game. the ball was kicked before time expired but enter the goal after time had expired. it was a 2 man ref. system. I was not the head ref. so i had look to the main for help. He counted the goal saying its like “basketball” once its kicked b4 time expires it counts.

do you happen to know the if this answer is correct? i thought as time expires, the game ends no matter where the ball is.

USSF answer (April 7, 2009):
We don’t do high school rules here, but under the Laws of the Game you are absolutely correct: No goal, as time had expired. Soccer is not like basketball in that regard. And high school rules are the same as the Laws of the Game with respect to when time expires.…

Interpretations/IFAB

WHEN TO USE THE WHISTLE

April 5, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
I’m a 1st season referee. When does the referee blow the whistle?

USSF answer (April 5, 2009):
Good question. The answer is contained in the Interpretations section of the Laws of the Game for 2008/2009. That’s in the back of the book, which you can download from this site or from the referee homepage at the Federation website, http://www.ussoccer.com .

Use of whistle
The whistle is needed to:
* start play (1st, 2nd half), after a goal
* stop play
– for a free kick or penalty kick
– if match is suspended or abandoned
– when a period of play has ended due to the expiration of time
* restart play at
– free kicks when the wall is ordered back the appropriate distance
– penalty kicks
* restart play after it has been stopped due to:
– the issue of a yellow or red card for misconduct
– injury
– substitution

The whistle is NOT needed
* to stop play for:
– a goal kick, corner kick or throw-in
– a goal
* to restart play from
– a free kick, goal kick, corner kick, throw-in

A whistle which is used too frequently unnecessarily will have less impact when it is needed. When a discretionary whistle is needed to start play, the referee should clearly announce to the players that the
restart may not occur until after that signal.

…

Law 18 - Common Sense

AR’S DUTIES

March 31, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
There was an incident in a match I was recently AR for while the referee was distracted by an injured player from the play. I was the trail AR and the lead AR did not think a foul was committed. It happened on the far side of the field from the other AR. It was the center’s “quadrant”. I believed the offense was a foul and a send off for either serious foul play or the denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity. The offense apparently was retaliatory. From my point of view the foul and misconduct was obvious. The other AR was parallel to the play and did not see the leg stick out as apparently as it did to me. The referee did stop play but he stopped play for the injury. Although I was far from the play I had a clear view. The coaches were on my side and the coach who saw the incident was yelling for a foul. I raised my flag. The center ran over to the other AR to discuss the incident. He then saw my flag and I waved him over. I asked him whether the other AR had seen the incident. “He saw nothing.” (which I later would learn meant he did not believe it was a foul but for the sake of this question we will assume the AR had been looking at the injured player too). I then advised the center that a foul had occurred and that there should be misconduct. He replied that it was not my call to make since it was not in my quadrant. I had a much clearer view then the other two officials on the field and I was told that this was not my place to make a decision because of how the decision would look. I thought that the duty of the AR was to advice the center when he/she has a better view of the incident which was obvious in this case. How should these incidents be handled and should the center take my advice even though I was a good 40 yards away from the incident.
The summary: Other officials were distracted, incident in the other half of the field and was near the 30 yard line, I had a clear view and believed it was a foul and misconduct. What should be the procedure for this situation?

USSF answer (March 31, 2009):
Some referees suffer from ego or insecurity problems. Do your job as assistant referee and let them do theirs.

You followed the correct procedure, but you need to remember that your primary role as an AR is to ASsist, not INsist. The AR provides information to the referee. If the referee fails to accept that information, no matter the reason, then the AR accepts the decision and gets on with the game. He or she has done his/her duty and the referee has made a decision and the referee alone bears the burden of living with the consequences.

You can run the line for us any time.

And, just to be certain that ALL referees and ARs are on the same page, we need to remind everyone that there is no such thing as an “AR quadrant” and a “referee quadrant” — Law 6 makes it VERY clear that the weighing of AR information should be based on who has the “better view” and that this applies not only to whether the referee or an AR has a better view, but also to which AR might have a better view. “Quadrants” went out of favor years ago.…

"Inventive" Refs

FOLLOW-UP TO “REFEREE SIGNAL VS. ASSISTANT REFEREE SIGNAL”

March 31, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
There is a question and answer provided on the USSF website which asks, and then confirms, that in the event of a throw-in in the area of the AR, the referee does not need to signal if the AR’s signal is correct. However, this reminded me of a situation that was brought up in the Recertification Class I just recently took. In the example given, the AR raised the flag for offsides, but was waved down by the Referee a few seconds later, because the keeper ended up getting the ball. However, as the AR was in the act of lowering his flag, the keeper dropped the ball to the ground, assuming it was offsides, and the opposing attacker ran in and took the ball and scored. The correct answer in this situation, we were told, is that the goal should stand, since the AR does not actually have the authority to make calls, and since the referee had not called the offsides, the game was officially still in progress when the keeper dropped the ball. They also told us that the keeper should be clearly instructed not to pay attention to any calls made by the AR unless the referee has called them.

However, this seems to contradict the answer given in this question. In the example given in the question of a throw-in, the referee makes no signal or acknowledgement that the ball is out of play, and the only figure signaling the proper restart is the AR. This seems to imply that signals given by the AR CAN be considered valid, even with no signal from the referee. Telling players to follow signals given by the AR in some cases, but ignore them in other cases, is quite confusing and could easily and understandably result in an example such as the one I have provided.

So, what is the proper decision? Should the referee signal for all restarts of play, or should the players be conditioned to follow the signals given by the AR, potentially resulting in situations that could significantly affect the outcome of the game?

USSF answer (March 31, 2009):
Perhaps you have misread our answer of 24 March 2009. It is not simply a case of the referee not needing to signal at those times when the assistant referee is right, but of the referee NOT NEEDING TO SIGNAL UNLESS A SIGNAL IS NEEDED. The controlling source here is the Guide to Procedures, which clearly states that the referee does not need to signal when the ball has left the field where the AR is expected to give the signal “unless necessary” — which makes the real question, “When might it be necessary?” It might be necessary if the AR is incorrect (the referee saw a touch on the ball which the AR did not or could not see); the players are continuing to play the ball despite the signal by the AR; the players acknowledge that the ball left the field, but are disputing the AR’s signal as to which team has possession, etc. All referees should note that, technically under the Law, the players are required to stop playing the ball when it leaves the field and this does not take any signal by the AR or referee (yet we often hear coaches, somewhat cynically, tell their players to keep playing the ball until there is a signal, even when they know absolutely that the ball has left the field. The AR’s signal merely confirms a fact — it does not create it.

With regard to the offside situation, let us remind you of the old saying: “The Laws of the Game are not intended to compensate for the mistakes of players.” The ball leaving the field is a physical fact (see above) whereas offside, fouls, etc. are pure judgment calls, which is why it takes the referee’s signal to actually create the conditions for a stoppage. Here, the referee DID signal — he waved down the AR’s flag — which every player should have taken to mean that the AR’s prior signal is to be ignored. The fact that the goalkeeper failed to understand this is the goalkeeper’s problem, not a problem in mechanics.…

"Inventive" Refs

NO SUBS AFTER “TWO-MINUTE WARNING”??

March 30, 2009 by Jim Allen

I’ve been enforcing the no substitution after the 2 minute warning has surpassed. I was question by a U-15 coach of why I do that and ask if he could see it in black and white. Can you assist me please? I’ve searched the “Guide to Procedures”, “Laws of the Game” and FIFA’s website and still have nothing to show. If I’m wrong then I’m wrong but I know I’ve seen it before in writing but can’t seem to remember where I saw it. Can you please assist?

USSF answer (March 30, 2009):
We are unaware of any rules that do not allow substitution in the last two minutes of any game. Several possibilities come to mind that may have confused you on this matter:

1. Could this be a local rule of competition, something imposed by the league or local association?

2. Are you thinking of the instruction in high school soccer for a “two minute warning” prior to the end of each half (and before the halftime break is over) to mean that no substitution can take place? This rule does not forbid substitution during that period of time.

3. Are you thinking of the requirement in college soccer that the clock be stopped for any substitution occurring within the last five minutes of play in the second half but only if the substitution is being made by the team winning at the time? Even that rule does not forbid substitution during the period in question.

None of those rules except, perhaps, your local rules of competition, forbids substitution in the waning minutes of play.

4. Or, most likely of all, have you fallen for the myth propagated by many older referees — those people who always tell you how the game should “really” be refereed, because “We don’t follow the Laws of the Game, which are dead wrong” — that referees should prevent substitutions during the last “x” (usually 2) minutes of play because, by their definition at least, this is being done solely to waste time? That, too, is wrong, and we deal with that in the USSF publication “Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game”:

3.5 PREVENTING DELAY DURING SUBSTITUTION
Referees should prevent unnecessary delays due to the substitution process. One source of delay is a request for a substitution that occurs just as a player starts to put the ball back into play. This often (incorrectly) results in the restart being called back and retaken. Another common source of delay is a substitute player who is not prepared to take the field when the request to substitute is made. In each case, the referee should order play to be restarted despite the request and inform the coach that the substitution can be made at the next opportunity.

The referee shall not prevent a team from restarting play if the substitute had not reported to the appropriate official before play stopped.

During the pregame discussion, the role of each official in managing the substitution process should be discussed in detail. Every effort should made to ensure awareness of local substitution rules, to follow procedures which facilitate substitutions with a minimum of delay, to avoid overlooking valid substitution requests, and to prevent the substitution process from being abused by teams seeking to gain an unfair advantage.

3.6 ALLOWING SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDING TIME
Except for situations described in 3.5, referees may not ignore or deny permission for a legal substitution that is properly requested. Although Law 3 requires that the referee be “informed before any proposed substitution is made,” this does not mean that the referee can deny permission for any reason other than to ensure that the substitution conforms to the Law. Even if it seems that the purpose is to waste time, the referee cannot deny the request, but should exercise the power granted in Law 7 to add time lost through “any other cause.” (Rules of those competitions that permit multiple substitutions and re-entries can sometimes lead to confusion. Study the Advice under 8.3 regarding the start of the second half.)

If, before the start of a match played under the rules of a competition, a player is replaced by a named substitute without the referee having been notified, this substitute, now a player, is permitted to play, but should be cautioned for entering the field of play without the permission of the referee. This is considered to be an improper manipulation of the roster, rather than a substitution, and does not count against the number of substitutions the team is permitted to use.…

Law 12 - Fouls & Misconduct

PARRYING BY THE GOALKEEPER

March 30, 2009 by Jim Allen

Question:
I have a question about goalkeeper parrying. In FIFA’s Laws of the Game 2008/2009 (on-line version), in the section “Interpretation of the Laws of the Game and Guidelines for Referees”, it states on p. 111:

A goalkeeper is not permitted to touch the ball with his hand inside his own penalty area in the following circumstances:

• if he handles the ball again after it has been released from his possession and has not touched any other player:
– the goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball by touching it with any part of his hands or arms except if the ball rebounds accidentally from him, for example, after he has made a save
– possession of the ball includes the goalkeeper deliberately parrying the ball

In all my years of playing, coaching, and now refereeing soccer, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a referee award an indirect free kick for parrying, although I am pretty sure I’ve seen goalkeepers parry the ball. In fact, the just other other day I saw the following in an English Premier League match: ball is crossed into the penalty area from the flank; goalkeeper goes up for it in a crowd, but facing no direct challenge from at attacking player (i.e. keeper is the only one jumping up for the ball) ; goalkeeper uses his hands, almost like a volleyball set, to direct the ball beyond the far post where there is nothing but green grass; goalkeeper follows his “self set” and collects the ball in his hands. Referee allows play to go on.

Wouldn’t this be a prime example of parrying? If yes, shouldn’t the referee have awarded an indirect free kick to the attacking team? If no, could you explain what parrying is (and maybe why it’s almost never called)? Thanks a lot!

USSF answer (March 30, 2009):
We cannot comment on decisions taken by referees in other countries, particularly in top-level play. We can only suggest that whether the play was a parry or a true clearance of the ball, the decision can be made only in the opinion of the referee on the game. You or I don’t have any input in the referee’s decision.

Referees do need to remember that goalkeepers are sneaky and actively attempt to deceive the referee as to parrying vs. deflection. Even if the decision is that the initial contact was a parry, followed directly by a second contact with the hand, the referee always has the option to decide that it didn’t matter enough to stop play for the offense. A trifling offense at best.…