1) A few weeks ago I was talking to a parent before a match, and he asked my opinion on a particular scenario (he had a rugby, not football, background). At the time, from the way he described it, I didn't think offside should be given, but I will share it:
-The ball is passed to a player on the left wing; he is onside when he receives the ball and proceeds to run with it.
-A team-mate on the right wing, who was offside when that initial pass was played, runs parallel to the player with the ball, anticipating a cross. A defender tracks his run.
-This second player is behind the ball from the cross and scores.
I cannot see any justification for offside here in law 11; he has not interfered with play, prevented an opponent from playing the ball or challenged for the ball (the ball is 50 yards away minimum). I think the parent assumed that, unless the player remains stationary, he is interfering; but for me the player's intention to get involved in play from a second phase is not relevant.
It does seem a bit strange, however, that an offside call here might depend on the angle of his run (i.e. towards the ball or not).
2) On the weekend, I had a goalmouth scramble situation, and I'm not sure whether I should have stopped play. A striker went through one on one with the keeper; the former went down, but I thought the keeper avoided catching him (nor was it a dive). The ball somehow stayed in close to the goal-line, and amazingly it didn't go in from a couple more attempts. Eventually an attacker fouled a defender. For those 15-20 seconds the keeper was on his knees around 8 yards from goal (one defender told me I had to stop for injury, but for me he was not injured, just resigned to conceding). I know the laws give the referee the power to stop play for an incapacitated keeper (head injury or not), but with a goal seemingly imminent would you stop play when it was no fault of the attacking side, especially if you weren't convinced the keeper was injured?
Thanks
-The ball is passed to a player on the left wing; he is onside when he receives the ball and proceeds to run with it.
-A team-mate on the right wing, who was offside when that initial pass was played, runs parallel to the player with the ball, anticipating a cross. A defender tracks his run.
-This second player is behind the ball from the cross and scores.
I cannot see any justification for offside here in law 11; he has not interfered with play, prevented an opponent from playing the ball or challenged for the ball (the ball is 50 yards away minimum). I think the parent assumed that, unless the player remains stationary, he is interfering; but for me the player's intention to get involved in play from a second phase is not relevant.
It does seem a bit strange, however, that an offside call here might depend on the angle of his run (i.e. towards the ball or not).
2) On the weekend, I had a goalmouth scramble situation, and I'm not sure whether I should have stopped play. A striker went through one on one with the keeper; the former went down, but I thought the keeper avoided catching him (nor was it a dive). The ball somehow stayed in close to the goal-line, and amazingly it didn't go in from a couple more attempts. Eventually an attacker fouled a defender. For those 15-20 seconds the keeper was on his knees around 8 yards from goal (one defender told me I had to stop for injury, but for me he was not injured, just resigned to conceding). I know the laws give the referee the power to stop play for an incapacitated keeper (head injury or not), but with a goal seemingly imminent would you stop play when it was no fault of the attacking side, especially if you weren't convinced the keeper was injured?
Thanks