Question:
A few months ago I was refereeing a game and I disallowed a goal for a player being in the offside position. It didn’t have a bearing on the game, thankfully, but reading more and more of the new interpretation and wanting to be as spot on as possible I would like to run the scenario by you.

An attacking player was down on the ground by the goal line and the back post of the goal. The keeper wasn’t concerned with the player and just keep his focus on the play. However the ball was crossed from outside to the top of the penalty area and an attacker struck a shot on goal. The keeper dove for it and the attacker lying on the ground (in an offside position at the time the ball was played by his team) did a little scissor kick to try to help the ball into the goal. He also missed the ball and a goal seemed to be scored.

My AR and I agreed that it would have been fine if he would have just stayed there and made no move to play the ball, but since he made an attempt to play it we disallowed the goal.

After reading the interpretations and comments and advice I think I may have made a wrong call. The player never touched the ball, nor did he interfere with the opponents. If I were to remove that player from the field of play magically, the goal would have been scored. So was my original decision correct or my 2nd guessing myself now? If it depends on the level of play the game was a U18 boys game.

USSF answer (May 1, 2009):
We applaud your effort to stay on top of all the new directives and interpretations, but are uncertain as to why you are having second thoughts in this case. Your initial decision was absolutely correct, although the reason was wrong.

The player in the offside position clearly kicked at the ball that the goalkeeper was attempting to play, thus interfering with an opponent and making himself offside.…

Question:
Consider the following setup.
An attacker is in an offside position on (or close to) the goal line.
A team mate takes a shot from around 14 yards while the goalkeeper went out of the goal to challenge him. All defenders are behind the line of the attacker who has the ball.

1. The offside attacker (which has no defenders around him and is not interfering with or disturbing the goalkeeper) gets hit by the ball and the ball enters the goal. Even if the ball had not touched him, it is obvious that the ball would have still ended up in the goal.

Question: Should the offside position be called or should the goal be allowed? (By the book: call the offside – interfering with play because he touched the ball)

2. The offside attacker deliberately steps inside the goal to avoid the offside possition (no matter if he gets hit by the ball there). In this case the goal should be disallowed and the offside player cautioned for deliberately getting off the field without permission, right?

3. The offside player stumbles and falls beyond the goal line inside the goal (being hit otherwise by the ball), avoiding this way the offside position. What should be the call in this case? What if the player fakes (not so obviously maybe) a stumble and falls inside the goal avoiding this way the offside (supposing that this would be the only way to avoid being hit by the ball)?

USSF answer (April 20, 2009):
1. Offside. No one could say for certain that the ball would have entered the goal without the player’s touch, no matter how much it would have appeared so.

2. No offside. Unless the referee believes otherwise, the player who enters the goal to avoid being involved in the play and does not touch the ball before it fully crosses the goal line and does not in any way prevent the goalkeeper from saving the shot has not interfered with play and should not be punished.

Furthermore, when an attacker leaves the field in order to demonstrate noninvolvement in active play for purposes of avoiding being declared offside, the Laws of the Game have traditionally recognized that this attacker has left the field “in the normal course of play” and should accordingly not be cautioned for this reason.

3. This decision can be made only by the referee on the game, taking into consideration what the referee has seen of play and the player thus far in the game.

In any event, whatever the attacker’s motivation or method of entering the area of the goal, the fact is that this attacker did not make contact with the ball, did not interfere with play, and thus should not be declared offside.…

Question:
Recently, one of our players was called off sides after receiving a long punt from our goalie who just made a save. In the laws of the game, it states that a player can not be off sides on a goal kick. The rules also describe a goal kick as a kick that occurs after the ball travels over the end line, last touched by attacking player. But what happens if the goalie makes a save and punts the ball? Is the goalie punting the ball the same as a goal kick regarding offsides? Any clarification on goalie punts vs. goal kicks and offsides would be greatly appreciated.

USSF answer (April 10, 2009):
Law 11 (Offside) tells it all — There is no offside offense if a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick. The goal kick is a way of putting the ball back into play. The goalkeeper punt is a way for the goalkeeper to get rid of the ball within the amount of time for him or her to do so , but the ball is already in play.

Your player was probably called offside correctly when he or she received the ball from the goalkeeper punt.…

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.…

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

Question:
Memorandum — 3/25/2009
Offside– Interfering with Play

Last paragraph:
‘This memorandum confirms that “interfering with play” cannot be decided unless the attacker in an offside position makes contact with the ball.’

Scenario:

Attacker is in an offside position near the halfway line and ball is played through near him/her. “Offside” attacker then pursues the ball all the way to the corner flag and is trailed by a teammate who eventually beats him/her to the ball. Defensive line breaks late as they wait for the flag to rise for an offside call.

In this scenario and according to the memo, the AR should chase the ball to the corner flag and will not signal an offside until the player (who was in an offside position prior) actually touches the ball.

Correct or Incorrect? What am I missing?

USSF answer (March 26, 2009):
Nothing.…