“PLAYED ONSIDE”?

December 1, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
There was controversy in a game in the Premier League today where Arsenal’s Robin Van Persie was “played onside” when a through ball played by his Arsenal colleague Denilson was diverted to Van Persie by Chelsea’s Ashley Cole. The diversion of the ball, although slight, was from a deliberate attempt to play the ball by Cole.

Van Persie was in an offside position when the ball was played by Denilson (and for that matter when Cole touched the ball). The referee in this case ruled that Cole’s attempt to play and touching of the ball then played RVP onside.

Now as I’ve always understood it a player could not be offside from a pass made from an opposing player but in reading the offside rule nowhere do I see mention that the player who passes the ball must be on your own side.

So was Van Persie offside?

USSF answer (December 1, 2008):
In brief, yes, van Persie was offside. He was clearly in an offside position when the ball was played to him by Denilson and the deflection of the ball (if indeed it happened) would make no difference in the referee’s call.…

Law 15 - Throw In

SPIKE THROW-IN

December 1, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
Worked a match recently in which a throw-in was made nearly straight down and then rebounded to strike an opponent in the face.

As far as I understand the Laws do not address the throw-in which is executed as a spike throw (nearly straight down and which rebounds directly back up) but there is a mention in the ATR although it is not any more clearly defined.

What is the current perspective as to this type of throw? Also what if this throw rebounds and impacts a player – opponent or team mate in the face or chest area?

USSF answer (December 1, 2008):
The reason it is not “more clearly defined” is that everyone should “know” what it is — a ball thrown straight down at the ground. There is, however, a caveat on this: The referee must be sure that this was done deliberately, rather than through an accident or pure lack of skill. If you use that criterion, then you are certain to make the correct decision with regard to a throw that rebounds and impacts a player. I. e., it can range from nothing through delay of the restart to dissent. Usually it is at worst only a simple mistake in not performing the throw-in restart in accordance with the Law.…

Law 11 - Offside

WHEN IS OFFSIDE?

December 1, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
Red team is defending an attack by blue team. A red player is clearly in an offside position in the center of the field about 10 yds inside the Blue team’s half, but not interfering in play. Suddenly the ball is cleared to the wing and the red team is now attacking. The ball is played to the offending red player who is now in an onside position on the edge of the PA. It is determined that the red player managed to get the ball as efficient as he did because of his original position and the speed at which the ball found him. Assuming the correct call is offside, where is the ball placed, at the edge of the PA or back up near the halfway line where he was offside? If at the edge of the PA, it seems although the red team is penalized, they have still gained an advantage because the ball is starting so much closer to the goal.

USSF answer (December 1, 2008):
The matter at the crux of the decision for or against offside is this: Where was the player at the moment the ball was last played by one of his teammates? It makes absolutely no difference where the player was before that moment.

Because the red player was in an onside position when the ball was played by one of his teammates and he than became actively involved in the play, a decision for offside would be incorrect and thus there is no reason for a restart. However, if the referee had stopped play and it is then found that the player was not offside, the restart would be a dropped ball at the place where the ball was when play was stopped.

This reasoning is reinforced by the fact that the player was in an offside position in the center of the field and not involved in play when the ball was played to the wing. It is perfectly legal to be in an offside position at any moment while the ball is in play and even at most restarts. What matters is the player’s subsequent involvement (or lack thereof) in play.…

Advice to Referees

MOVING AN ALREADY PLACED BALL AT A GOAL KICK

December 1, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
Situation: I am the CR for a U-12B recreational match. I have just awarded a goal kick and the keeper has placed the ball to take the kick. I then stop play for a substitution, as allowed by local rules (I wasn’t taking away a quick kick opportunity since the substitution was requested by the keeper’s coach). Upon signaling for play to resume, the keeper picks up the ball, and places it in a completely different area of the goal box (still legally placed, though), then takes the kick. After the match, one of my AR’s informs me that the ball cannot be re-placed like that and that I should have made the kicker take the kick from the spot where he originally placed it.

Question: I have read LOTG , GTP, and ATR and have been unable to locate anything on this. I have enjoyed working with this other referee many times and have respect for the advice, but I would still like to know where this is drawn from. Have I missed something? Where is there a reference to this?

Note: I do realize that, in some situations, this type of action may be considered as delaying a restart and, therefore, should be sanctioned as such. But, in this situation, I had already stopped the game for a legal substitution and did not see any harm in allowing this (the keeper did not take an excessive amount of time to re-place the ball).

Your wisdom would be appreciated.

USSF answer December 1, 2008):
At one time the ball had to be put into play at a goal kick from the side on which it left the field. This requirement was dropped some years ago in the interests of reducing time wasting, and play may now be restarted with the goal kick taken from any spot in the goal area. This was of some help in reducing the time wasting, but clearly not enough. The IFAB (the people who make the Laws of the Game) and FIFA (the people who administer the game worldwide) launched a campaign in 2000 that continued into 2002: Its theme was to eliminate excessive delay from the game. U. S. Soccer’s position can be found in the USSF publication “Advice to Referees on the Laws of the Game,” where it has been since 2001. Advice 12.28.4 indicates that one reason for cautioning a player for delaying the restart is the act of unnecessarily moving a ball which has already been properly placed on the ground for a goal kick. Clearly the referee will not caution where there is no measurable loss of playing time, such as in the situation you experienced.

Not sure what your local rules of competition say, but the Laws of the Game permit substitution at ANY stoppage of play.…

Law 11 - Offside

FLAGGING OFFSIDE PROBLEM

November 26, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
The following happened a couple days ago during a competitive adult amateur match.

I was lead AR. An attacker A1 held the ball directly in front of me. The second to last defender D1 was charging hard at A1 (and me), but missed the tackle since A1 neatly passed the ball toward the half line. D1, because of his momentum and slick conditions, slid off the field, behind me and out of my field of view.

In a bang-bang play, the ball was then played forward by a second attacker A2 to a third attacker A3 who was running up the field. At the moment of the pass toward the goal, A3 was clearly in front of any other defenders that I could see, and almost in line with me. I could not tell — because D1 was somewhere behind me now — whether A3 was in an offside position

Question: How do I decide if this is an offside offense when I am unsure of the position of the off the field defender? Note that because of the speed of play, I did not have time to back up, turn around or otherwise judge the location of D1.

USSF answer (November 26, 2008):
If you cannot be sure of the position of the defender, then you cannot call offside. You might consider looking to the referee for assistance. (He or she should be aware of where you are most of the time.) If the referee cannot help, then there is doubt. If there is doubt, then there is no offside — and this applies to both the offside position and the offside infringement.…

"Inventive Assessors"

ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES AND GET TO WORK!

November 21, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
Just looking for clarification of the Jersey Sleeves Rule.

I read the published paper from Nov 4, 2002 suspending the previous provision regarding jersey sleeves.

The reason I ask is that I had an Assessor tell me that I need to make sure all players have sleeves on their jerseys and that they keep them rolled down. Just so that I’m consistent with USSF, has there been anything new on this subject? And what should be the proper stance for referees on this matter?

USSF answer (November 21, 2008):
We are sure you misunderstood the assessor, because there is no rule that players must keep their sleeves rolled up. No assessor would ever make up anything like that.

The Law requires that jerseys must have sleeves, but if players wear jerseys without sleeves the referee must allow them to play and then include full details in the match report.…

Law 18 - Common Sense

OBVIOUS GOALSCORING OPPORTUNITY?

November 21, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
I was the center for an adult mens game this week. The attacking team was on a fast break and the thru ball was deliberately handled by the defender to stop the attack. The defender was one of the last defenders (they were almost flat…in a straight line). The Attacking player who was to receive the ball would have been on his way to goal with no defender in sight. The deliberate ball handling took place about 35 yards from goal.

I blew the whistle and gave the defending player a straight red. The AR then called me over to tell me that the attacking player who was to receive the ball was in an offside position. At the half, my other AR said I should have considered the distance from goal that the handling occurred and thought I should have given a yellow card.

Does the fact that the attacking player who was to receive the ball was in an offside position change the card or scenario?

Does the fact that the handling took place 35 yards from goal change the card or scenario?

USSF answer (November 21, 2008):
Yes, as we have answered several times in the past, the fact that the player who might have scored was in an offside position does indeed change the card and the scenario. Although it’s a bit late to do anything about it now except remember it for the next time it occurs.

If the referee accepts the assistant referee’s flag for the offside — which he or she seems not to have shown in this case — that advice is then binding on the referee, who must decide for offside and misconduct. The correct decision is to caution the defender for unsporting behavior and restart with an indirect free kick for the defender’s team, taken from the place where the attacker was when his teammate passed the ball.

However, just to head off questions we know will come from others who read this particular Q&A, let us note several things.

1. if the offside is not accepted (and it is certainly difficult to accept an offense that wasn’t signaled by the AR in the first place) or if the attacker hadn’t been in an offside position, then the issue you raise boils down to this — but for the handling, would a goal have been scored?

2. And someone is bound to bring in the 4 Ds, which actually figure into that decision only marginally.

3. The referee can’t say that DGF occurred simply because, but for the handling, the attacker might have passed the ball to his teammate and his teammate in turn might have been able to take a shot on goal and the shot on goal might have gone into the net. In this case, it is either a red for DGF because the ball would have gone into the net from the player’s shot on goal or it would be a caution for a tactical foul (illegally handling to prevent the ball from going to a teammate of the player).…

Law 18 - Common Sense

TOO MANY PLAYERS ON THE FIELD IN U9

November 20, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
In a Finals game, at the beginning of the second half, team “A” kicks off. Unbeknown to the CR and team A’s coach, 10 players are on the field in a 9v9 maximum player count. Within 60 seconds team “A” scores a goal against team “B.” It is determined that the extra player touched the ball in the transition, assisting in getting the ball into team “B’s back third and ultimately scoring the goal. Team “B”s coaching staff notices the anomaly and brings it to the CR’s attention.

Does the goal count?

USSF answer (November 20, 2008):
No, it does not. The Laws of the Game are explicit — and it would make no difference if it were U9, U19, or adult professional players.

Goals scored with an extra person on the field of play
If, after a goal is scored, the referee realizes, before play restarts, that there was an extra person on the field of play when the goal was scored:
– the referee must disallow the goal if:
— the extra person was an outside agent and he interfered with play
— the extra person was a player, substitute, substituted player or team official associated with the team that scored the goal
– the referee must allow the goal if:
— the extra person was an outside agent who did not interfere with play
— the extra person was a player, substitute, substituted player or team official associated with the team the conceded the goal

It is clear from your scenario that the extra player interfered in play, which suggests that the referee’s decision should be no goal, follow the restart guidance given in the Laws. That is, provided that the game had NOT been restarted with the kick-off before the extra player was discovered. If the game had been restarted, life is hard and the goal counts…

Law 5 - Referee

OBJECTS THROWN INTO THE FIELD

November 18, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
MLS Playoff game between NY and Salt Lake. Home team fans throw streamers at opposing players taking corner kicks or at the opposing goal keeper prior to a home team corner kick, yet, play is allowed to continue. Also, the throwing of smoke “bombs” onto the field, and again play is allowed to continue. My question is this.

“When is an ‘outside agent’ allowed to enter the field of play and the referee allowed to ignore it and allow play to continue?” I’m familiar with Advice to Referees Section 1.8 paragraph D. Streams and smoke bombs are both distractions not only to the fans but also to the players and (in my opinion) “interfers with the game”. I guess my position is obvioulsy the exact opposite as that displayed on the field during the game in question. So, which is correct?

USSF answer (November 18, 2008):
Under the Laws, an outside agent is a person, but that can be extended to other animate beings such as dogs. An outside agent is not a streamer or smoke bomb, although these things can occasionally cause problems. Much of this was covered in a Federation position paper of 3 April 2008 on “Objects on the Field”:

From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center:

To: National Referees
National Referee Candidates
National Instructors
National Assessors
State Directors of Referee Administration
State Directors of Referee Instruction
State Directors of Referee Assessment
State Directors of Coaching

From: Alfred Kleinaitis
Manager of Referee Development and Education

Subject: Objects on the Field

Date: April 3, 2008

Soccer matches are exciting events, attended by partisan fans who celebrate the successes and bemoan the reverses of their favorite team. They wave flags, blare trumpets, beat drums, swirl scarves, and, sometimes, they throw things onto the field. Usually, what is thrown onto the field (confetti and streamers) is inconsequential, at most a momentary distraction.

At times, however, what is thrown onto the field constitutes a serious interference in the match, either because of the specific nature of the object (e.g., bottles or lit fireworks) or because of the volume of the material covering the field and making the surface dangerously unstable. In such cases, the referee must suspend play, preferably at a stoppage called for some other reason but otherwise without delay if the issue is the safety of the players, the officials, or team personnel in the technical areas. Before play can be resumed, it is the responsibility of the home club (the organization sponsoring the match) to resolve the problem without undue delay. Under certain circumstances, the referee may consider removing players from the field for their safety during this time.

A more difficult case is presented when what is thrown onto the field is not intrinsically dangerous but carries the threat of interfering with play in some significant way. Referees are, of course, alert to such interference when a ball enters the field and comes close enough to play to be mistaken for the match ball. Another example that might be cited is an EPL match (Sheffield United v. Manchester City) in which, about 10 minutes into the first half, the ball was played into the attacking third of the field at a time when more than a dozen balloons were also in the area (it may be important to note that the balloons were generally similar to the match ball in size and color).

On a shot across the face of the goal, the ball hit a balloon, causing the former to be redirected slightly and the latter to be knocked toward the goal. Further play resulted in other balloons moving and bouncing in front of the goalkeeper. A goal was scored during what may have been a very confusing few seconds.

In these “gray area” situations, the referee must evaluate a number of factors in order to determine if and when play should be suspended until the problem is resolved.

• What is the likelihood that the foreign object(s) might interfere with the safe movement of the players?
• What is the likelihood that the foreign object(s) might confuse players and/or disrupt the flow of play?
• Is the problem with foreign object(s) primarily at one end of the field and therefore more likely to disadvantage one team over another?

Play should not be suspended for inconsequential reasons and the referee must remain vigilant to the possibilities of the match being disrupted by the sudden appearance of unwanted objects on the field. Match officials must be sensitive to things which interfere unduly with the beauty of the sport and make a mockery of skilled play.

We put your question to an authority at the Federation, who responds that professional-level referees are instructed to manage their games with an eye toward preserving the entertainment value of the game without sacrificing player safety. Streamers are not necessarily a big safety hazard, while smoke bombs are. The referee’s key to deciphering the mystery is player reaction. Players do not tend to mind streamers until they are being thrown in excess “at” the player. The authority also points out that material thrown at the goal is treated more seriously than material thrown around the corner flag. This is because of the possibility of interference with the last line of defense near the goal.…

Law 5 - Referee

OUTSIDE INTERFERENCE

November 18, 2008 by Jim Allen

Question:
During a recent match a parent wasn’t happy with the CR
lack of a call or a miss call. He happened to be a referee and the
league administrator. He requested that the ARs both be replaced and
wanted to replace the center referee. My question is what is the rule
for someone stopping play and what are the rules for changing out ARs?

USSF answer (November 18, 2008):
No spectator, not even a league administrator, has the right to interfere with the officials on a match.…