Question Number: 21544

Law 11 - Offside 6/15/2009

RE: Select High School

Joe Sereno of Gaylord, MI USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 105197

I have seen you touch on this before but it has come up again so I would like your advice.

I am working with new ARs and some offside calls were being made. I could see the player offside but the AR waited and would then raise the flag farther down the field. I asked them about it and I realized they were waiting until the offside player touched the ball downfield to make the call.

I understand it is not an offense in itself to be in an offside position and the concept of being involved in active play. So shouldn't we make the call upfield rather than waiting for the touch downfield?

Thank you again for your site and the help you are giving to so many of us.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Assistant referees are advised to keeper running with the second to last defender or the ball so that they are in a good position if someone other than the player in offside position touches the ball. (If they stop, they might be 20 yards from the idea position and unable to judge the next time someone may be in offside position if there is no infringement by the player in offside position.)

Once there is active involvement in play (usually by touching the ball or interfering with the opponent), the assistant raises the flag, waits for the whistle, and lowers the flag to indicate whether the offside player was near, mid or far across the field. The assistant then moves back up the line to where the player in offside position was located when the ball was originally touched by a teammate. This is even with the spot where the restart will be.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

It sounds like your new referees paid attention in their certification class to the latest directives on offside. A player does not interfere with play until she actually touches the ball, although it is likely that she may have interfered with an opponent before that happens. The AR is not to pop the flag until the offside offense occurs, not simply when there is a player in an offside position.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Ahhh Joe!! Perhaps your assistants have been keeping up with new interpretations of Law 11 than you have!!
A memo put out March 25 by USSF has this last sentence in it:

This memorandum confirms that "interfering with play" cannot be decided unless
the attacker in an offside position makes contact with the ball.

Unless the offside positioned player is interfering with an opponent, the AR is now required to leave the flag down until actual contact with the ball is made in order for the player to be guilty of interfering with play. After the flag has been raised the AR moves back towards the center line to indicate the location of the restart.