Offside (Ep. 9)

-Going to be a long one today

- Very easy rule in theory but very complicated in practice

- Rule is interpreted differently depending on who you ask and causes issues

-Also, rule has changed quite a few times to differ slightly so also causes problems because people don’t keep up with the rules

-It has changed 4 times between time I stopped refing and making this podcast

Offsides

- Thoughts on offsides

-Very difficult call to make for linesman, probably toughest and most important

-Reason why that is the linesman main job other then calling ball going out of play

-A whole lot to keep up with as far as offsides calls

-Supposed to be in line with second to last defender, ball or halfway line depending on which one is closest to goal

-Must determine when ball was kicked in relation to when offside player was in offside position

-Must determine if offside player made any attempt to play according to rules that will list

-Sometimes you’ll have a player up close blocking your view across the field

-Angle you are looking can cause some distortion in how things are viewed

-Very tough call to make everything happens very quickly and were usually talking about inches of difference between players that must be made at lengths that can be up to 80 yards if its across an official field

-Short time

- In a second or two players can be up to ten yards apart if running in two different directions

-Also, fields can have varying degrees of rise in the middle causing even more hiding of players

-Lots of fields have a slight rise in the middle of the field to help water run off the side of the fields

- General rule for me

- If player is in offsides position and makes move to play ball in any way he’s offsides

- If player just stands still or walks away from the play not offsides

- Only times this doesn’t apply are

- On a player’s on side of the field

- goal kick

- corner kick

- throw in

- The main reason offsides exist as a rule is to keep a player or players from standing at the top of the field waiting for their team to kick it up the field to them. This is often referred to as “goal hanging”.

- History of the Law

- Has always been some form of the Law and in varying degrees of severity since early inception when rugby and soccer were same sport

- Was often referred to as sneaking

- Became a rule thing when officials rules were written with the first Football Association in 1863

- Early adoption was very strict not allowing any player to play in front of the ball

- Player could not advance or play the ball until an opponent kicked it or someone on his team that was in front of him kicked the ball

- Exception was made from goal kicks of the time because everyone would have been offsides

- First major revision made in 1866 with the three-player rule

- Made it similar to todays rules with three players between you and goal instead of two players

- 1907 offside in own half was gotten rid of

- Was brought about by teams playing a high team, basically one defender to get offsides calls in the other teams defending end

- 1925 two player rule accepted

- Considered one of the most significant changes in 20th century to sport

- Was proposed as early as 1893 to replace the three-player rule

- Tested in trial match in 1925

- First half used player could not be offsides unless within forty yards of opponent’s goal line

- Second half used two player rule

- Two player rule won in next FA meeting

- Proponents said could reduce stoppages, avoid reffing errors and improve spectacle

- Opponents said gave unfair advantage to attackers

- Refs overwhelmingly opposed the change

- 1990 changed so attacker was that was level with second defender was considered onside, previously was considered offside

- Did this to encourage attackers by the attacker and advantage over the defender

- 2005 they differentiated the parts of the body in the rule deciding that only the head, feet, and body count for offsides. That there is no advantage in the hands and arms being offsides

- 2009 they added the clause about the defender stepping out of bounds and where he will be considered for offsides calls

- 2016 clarified a player being on halfway line cannot be offsides, a part of player head, body, or feet must be in opponent’s half

- Also clarified that parts of body change in 2009 must apply to both attackers and defenders to include goalie

- Law 11 in Laws of the Game

- Actual wording from the Laws of the Game

- 1) Offsides position

- It is not an offense to be in an offside position

- A player is in an offside position if

- Any part of the head, body, or feet is in the opponents' half (excluding the halfway line) and

- Any part of the head, body, or feet is nearer to the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent

- The hands and arms of all players, including the goalkeeper, are not considered. For the purposes of determining offsides, the upper boundary of the arm is in line with the bottom of the armpit.

- A player is not in an offside position if level with the

- Second-last opponent or

- last two opponents

- 2) Offside offence

- A player in an offsides position at the moment the ball is played or touched (the first point of contact of the 'play’ or 'touch' of the ball should be used) by a teammate is only penalized on becoming involved in active play by

- Interfering with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a teammate or

- Interfering with an opponent by

- Preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponents' line of vision or

- Challenging an opponent for the ball or

- Clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent or

- Making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball

- or

-Gaining an advantage by playing the ball or interfering with an opponent when it has:

- Rebounded or been deflected off the goalpost, crossbar, match official, or an opponent

- Been deliberately saved by an opponent

- A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent who deliberately plays the ball, including by deliberate handball, is not considered to have gained an advantage, unless it was a deliberate save by any opponent

- A ‘save’ is when a player stops, or attempts to stop, a ball which is going into or very close to the goal with any part of the body except the hands/arms (unless the goalkeeper withing the penalty area)

- In situations where:

- A player moving from, or standing in, an offside position is in the way of an opponent and interferes with the movement of the opponent towards the ball this is an offside offence if it impacts on the ability of the opponent to play or challenge for the ball; if the player moves into the way of an opponent and impedes the opponents’ progress (e.g., Blocks the opponent), the offense should be penalized under Law 12

- A player in an offside position is moving towards the ball with the intention of playing the ball and is fouled before playing or attempting to play the ball, or challenging an opponent for the ball, the foul is penalized as it has occurred before the offside offense

- An offence is committed against a player in an offside position who is already playing or attempting to play the ball, or challenging an opponent for the ball, the offside offense is penalized as it has occurred before the foul challenge

- 4) No Offense

- There is no offside offense if a player receives the ball directly from

- A goal kick

- A throw-in

- A corner kick

- 5) Offenses and sanctions

- If an offside offense occurs, the referee awards an indirect free kick where the offence occurred, including if it is in the player’s own half of the field of play

- A defending player who leaves the field of play without the referee’s permission shall be considered to be on the goal line or touchline for the purposes of offside until the next stoppage in play or until the defending team has played the ball towards the halfway line and it is outside its penalty area. If the player left the field of play deliberately, the player must be cautioned when the ball is next out of play.

- An attacking player may step or stay off the field of play not to be involved in active play. If the player re-enters from the goal line and becomes involved in play before the next stoppage in play or the defending team has played the ball towards the halfway line and it is outside its penalty area, the player shall be considered to be positioned on the goal line for the purposes of offside. A player who deliberately leaves the field of play and re-enters without the referee’s permission and is not penalized for offside and gains an advantage must be cautioned.

- If an attacking player remains stationary between the goalposts and inside the goal as the ball enters the goal, a goal must be awarded unless the player commits an offside offense or a Law 12 offense, in which case play is restarted with an indirect free kick.

- Breaking it down

- 1) Offsides position

- You can stand in an offsides position all you want and not be called for the offense

- You are in an offsides position if you DO NOT HAVE at least

- The ball or

- two players from the other team between you and the goal line/end of the offensive side of the field (usually the goalie and a defender but does not have to be them. Could theoretically be two forwards)

- This includes any portion of your body other than your arms, starting at basically the part of your arm where your armpit starts and going all the way down to your hands (shoulder not considered a hand ball)

- 2) Offsides offense

- A couple of things must be considered for offsides

- First thing to consider where the player was when the ball was played or touched (means kicked, headed, kneed, whatever) by their teammate

- Were they in an offsides position when the ball was played or touched?

- Not where were they when they received the ball

- This still doesn’t make it an offsides offense, it’s just first on the checklist

- Anything after here will cause them to commit the offsides offense if they were in the offsides position when the ball was touched or

- Did they play the ball in anyway?

- Did they interfere with the opposing team in anyway?

- Keeping them from playing the ball or being able to play the ball in any way to include things like obstruction of their view

- Challenge the opponent for the ball

- Any action that impacts the opponent’s ability to play the ball

- Did they gain an advantage playing the ball or interfering with an opponent after it deflected off something or after the opponent made a save?

-If they were in an offsides position after someone took a shot and it deflected off the goal post and then they were there to score a goal, then it is considered an offsides offense.

- Same would be said for after a goalie made a save

- If the player that is in the offsides position is intercepting a deliberate ball from the other team (pass, clearance, deliberate handballs, etc.) not considered an offsides offense because not considered gaining an advantage and ball not being played by a teammate. Only thing is back to deliberate save.

- Save is what it sounds like. Stopping a goal by legal means. If it’s illegal, then offsides won’t matter because handball will be dealt with

- Certain situations

- They have to impeded on the players ability to play the ball, if they don’t have the ability to play the ball then offsides won’t be called

- If they step in the way or keep the player from making progress, then you will deal as Law 12 calls for it’s under the section called Impeding the progress of an opponent without contact. (Probably go over later, one of my most uncalled fouls)

- The last two are just making the differentiation of when you should make an offsides call vs a foul call. Basically, if the foul happened before offsides offense you call the foul. If the foul happened after the offsides offense, then you call the offsides.

- Refs may still have to assess cards to players due to the actual severity of the foul that happened after the offsides offense.

- 3) No Offense

- You can’t have an offsides offense on the three things listed

- Goal kick

- Throw- in

- Corner kick

- 4) Offenses and Sanctions

- If its award it’s an indirect free kick from the spot that the player was ruled offsides.

- If a defender steps off the field without the ref’s permission the goal line is considered where the second defender is. Until a stoppage happens, or the run of play has gone back up field.

- Trying to keep defenders from just stepping off the field to cause offsides calls.

- The player that steps off the field without permission will be given a yellow card for doing so according to rules of the game. You can’t leave the field of play without permission of the center ref.

- An attacker may step off the field of play to avoid being considered in active play.

- If he re-enters he will be considered at the goal line for the purposes of offsides no matter where he enters

- If he re-enters without permission and is not called for offsides he will be given a yellow card

- This one is a little unclear to me and I’m not sure I interpreted it right myself. I will have to talk to some of my buddies that are refs and come up with a clearer understanding of this. I will for sure ask it the first time I interview a ref on the podcast.

- A player can just basically stand in the goal if they don’t interfere with play and if a goal is scored then it stands.

- If they do any of the things listed in the offenses section, then its offsides

- If they commit any other foul listed in Law 12 then they will be called for that

- Whatever the foul calls for in indirect or direct free kick is awarded if committed.

- Things for me to add

- You cannot dribble into an offsides call because you are behind the ball

- Once the ball is kicked you can move to and receive the ball if you started in an onside position (onside position is term for someone not in an offsides position, a player that has two players or the ball between them and the opponents end of the field)

- When offsides is called by the linesman he will stand in one place with the flag raised straight up

- Center Ref will then make decision to call offsides or not, he has power to override linesman and not call offsides.

- If he doesn’t call offsides he will wave linesman down (doesn’t happen often)

- If he makes call linesman will then signal where the ball is to be placed

- Ball is to be placed in line with him

- If flag is at 45-degree angle up, it is on far end of field

- If flag level it is in center of field

- If flag is at 45-degree angle down, it is on close end of field

- Offsides has led to what is called the offsides trap, which is when defenses try to catch attackers in the offsides position

- Will talk about it in a later podcast, but is very effective when run properly, but requires a highly level of coordination amongst the defense

- Very effective against teams with forwards that like to sit very high, are very aggressive and are fast

- Take aways this podcast

- Offsides is a very tough call for experienced refs to make let alone young refs at youth tournaments, cut them some slack

- Hard to get right looking down the line so almost impossible to get call right sitting in your chair at a weird angle even just feet away from play so don’t yell about it, you’re probably wrong

- General rule to apply while watching on sideline for offsides or not

- If player stands still or walks away from play, not offsides even if in offside position

- If in offsides position and makes move to play ball in anyway then offsides

Things of note

- Have web page up and running, go visit https://www.socceraperspectiveforparents.com

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- If link is not in description, email and Ill hook you up

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Online Sources

- https://www.ussoccer.com/referee-program/laws-of-the-game