Correct Restart Position Following Offside (Club Lino)

[Dicky Herts]

Hi fellow Referees. Question on off-side with club Linos. I find often the club lino flags too early before the offside ‘position’ becomes an offside ‘offence’, I will then wait until the player touches / challenges before I whistle. There is then sometimes a bit of confusion where the IFK is - with the defence often suggesting / thinking that the IFK is up the pitch where the Lino initially flagged (and is sometimes still standing with their flag) and me trying to tell them the IFK must be taken from the point that the ‘offence’ occurred – which can often be a considerable distance further back. My question is this - besides just repeatedly being strict on it - has anyone found an effective way to manage this with club Linos that a) does not alienate the club lino and b) reduces the frustration of the defending side who feel they are being disadvantaged by having to restart further back than they thought (because of where the lino incorrectly initially flagged).

 

[JamesL]

Just one of those things that you need to explain. Ive done couple of games with CARs lately and found the same. Easily solved with explanation of when the offence occurs and where the free kick should be taken from.

Another way to combat is to include it in you brief to CARs, when they should flag, but it probably fall on deaf ears or isn't passed on when the sub holding the flag is subbed in and swapped for his mate.

The other thing to think about is how strict you are on it. If it means a free kick in the goal area instead of around penalty spot do you need to make a thing of it?

Halfway line instead of edge of penalty area = probably.

The closer to opponents goal the more picky I am likely to be.

 

[Dicky Herts]

Just one of those things that you need to explain. Ive done couple of games with CARs lately and found the same. Easily solved with explanation of when the offence occurs and where the free kick should be taken from.

Another way to combat is to include it in you brief to CARs, when they should flag, but it probably fall on deaf ears or isn't passed on when the sub holding the flag is subbed in and swapped for his mate.

The other thing to think about is how strict you are on it. If it means a free kick in the goal area instead of around penalty spot do you need to make a thing of it?

Halfway line instead of edge of penalty area = probably.

The closer to opponents goal the more picky I am likely to be.

Thanks. Yes I do include it in the brief to them. Yes I am not too worried if its a few yards but I have had a couple of club linos recently who repeatedly flag way too early, then stand there with the flag 20+ yards further up the pitch which leads to a 'discussion' on where the IFK is.

 

[JamesL]

Thanks. Yes I do include it in the brief to them. Yes I am not too worried if its a few yards but I have had a couple of club linos recently who repeatedly flag way too early, then stand there with the flag 20+ yards further up the pitch which leads to a 'discussion' on where the IFK is.

So have the discussion, show off to everyone you know the law/rules and have the GK taken from the correct place with a polite thanks to the CAR and move on quickly to the next decision

 

[DJIC]

Thanks. Yes I do include it in the brief to them. Yes I am not too worried if its a few yards but I have had a couple of club linos recently who repeatedly flag way too early, then stand there with the flag 20+ yards further up the pitch which leads to a 'discussion' on where the IFK is.

I give that as my only instruction to CAR, late flag, wait to see if he/she touches the ball or challenges an opponent, no other requests & seems to work.

Even had striker run whole half of pitch before flagging! But guess where everyone expected the offside offence to be taken from?

My view is pick your battles, can cause animosity & issues when it is usually just a way of getting the ball back in to play.

 

[socal lurker]

It’s been a number of years now since the FK was where the OSP player was at time of teammates touch, but still seems that most players expect to move the ball up there anyway.

 

[Gabriel]

When I have CAR's and offsides in operation (as do mini-soccer regularly as well for a number of reasons), I always tell them this and then say if I don't blow, I have seen it but I am either a) ignoring it because it is incorrect (which I will make very clear with verbals), or b) waiting for an actual offence to occur.

 

[WiisardNic]

Hi fellow Referees. Question on off-side with club Linos. I find often the club lino flags too early before the offside ‘position’ becomes an offside ‘offence’, I will then wait until the player touches / challenges before I whistle. There is then sometimes a bit of confusion where the IFK is - with the defence often suggesting / thinking that the IFK is up the pitch where the Lino initially flagged (and is sometimes still standing with their flag) and me trying to tell them the IFK must be taken from the point that the ‘offence’ occurred – which can often be a considerable distance further back. My question is this - besides just repeatedly being strict on it - has anyone found an effective way to manage this with club Linos that a) does not alienate the club lino and b) reduces the frustration of the defending side who feel they are being disadvantaged by having to restart further back than they thought (because of where the lino incorrectly initially flagged).

I've had this queried once in a game during my first year refereeing, where the difference was probably a good 20m (the flag was up just past the centre circle of the defensive half, whereas the offence occurred somewhere in line with the edge of the penalty area 'D' (alongside the alley between the sideline and the penalty area)

If it's within 5 or so metres, I generally just let it slide, but this player (the captain) was taking it up further, and I whistled, told him to take it back, and he made a big song and dance about it and decided to take it around in line with the penalty mark. I probably could have sin-binned, but decided against it.

He said something else about it as we were leaving the pitch at half time, and it's the only time I've pulled out the LOTG (app on my phone, not the book) to find the exact words for him.

As we were walking onto the pitch, I asked him to come over, and hit him with the "If an offside offence 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," and told him "I know you're the captain, so I generally tolerate a bit more discussion with you guys, but consider this your last warning about questioning my application of the laws of the game."

Didn't hear from him again all game, even when I sent off his winning goal-scorer for OFFINABUS (alongside an opposition winger) with about 15 minutes to go.

 

[Dicky Herts]

I've had this queried once in a game during my first year refereeing, where the difference was probably a good 20m (the flag was up just past the centre circle of the defensive half, whereas the offence occurred somewhere in line with the edge of the penalty area 'D' (alongside the alley between the sideline and the penalty area)

If it's within 5 or so metres, I generally just let it slide, but this player (the captain) was taking it up further, and I whistled, told him to take it back, and he made a big song and dance about it and decided to take it around in line with the penalty mark. I probably could have sin-binned, but decided against it.

He said something else about it as we were leaving the pitch at half time, and it's the only time I've pulled out the LOTG (app on my phone, not the book) to find the exact words for him.

As we were walking onto the pitch, I asked him to come over, and hit him with the "If an offside offence 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," and told him "I know you're the captain, so I generally tolerate a bit more discussion with you guys, but consider this your last warning about questioning my application of the laws of the game."

Didn't hear from him again all game, even when I sent off his winning goal-scorer for OFFINABUS (alongside an opposition winger) with about 15 minutes to go.

Thanks. What you describe as the position / offence is what I encounter quite a bit ie the player is in an offside position just inside oppo half, runs onto a long ball, CAR flags almost immediately, I let it run a few seconds until either a) same player touches it b) potential unnecessarily collision c) offside player doesn’t get there. If it’s a or b I want the IFK taken where he was when I stopped play. If it’s further by a few metres from the AR flag no big deal but when it’s 10, 20 metres I make the point of pushing it back.

 

[Peter Grove]

Even had striker run whole half of pitch before flagging! But guess where everyone expected the offside offence to be taken from?

Just remember though, that in this kind of scenario, the laws allow an 'early' flag and/or whistle if (and only if):

no other team-mate in an onside position has the opportunity to play the ball.

 

[WiisardNic]

Thanks. What you describe as the position / offence is what I encounter quite a bit ie the player is in an offside position just inside oppo half, runs onto a long ball, CAR flags almost immediately, I let it run a few seconds until either a) same player touches it b) potential unnecessarily collision c) offside player doesn’t get there. If it’s a or b I want the IFK taken where he was when I stopped play. If it’s further by a few metres from the AR flag no big deal but when it’s 10, 20 metres I make the point of pushing it back.

Yeah, for defensive free kicks, I'm a bit lenient on distance to the actual mark, but anything more than 5 or so metres that is clearly just taking the mickey, I'll try to address. Which leads me into:

Just remember though, that in this kind of scenario, the laws allow an 'early' flag and/or whistle if (and only if):

Correct - in my specific example, there were 3 players involved in the attack (that I could see 2 of them were not the offenders - the CAR that apparently used to be a linesman about 87 years ago according to our pre-match talk had already signalled it was the far-side attacker, so I waited for him to get involved, hence the long distance discrepancy)