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Another one of my observations at a Non-League game I attended recently. A forward was in a marginal (a foot as opposed to, say, 2 yards) offside position (a) some 10 yards inside his opponent’s half when a long pass was played into the space in front of him. The official Assistant did not...

Thanks. The official Observer I mentioned, said that the player should use both hands to deliver the ball and not use one as a guide. edit. I assume he meant that both hands should be used to propel the ball rather than one being used to guide the ball and the other acting as the force of the...

As I have mentioned elsewhere, I am a follower of Non League football and have brought various incidents to your attention for an expert assessment. On the subject of Throw-ins, practically every game I go to I notice that players launch a long throw by spinning the ball with one hand, as...

Thanks for all your contributions. I was just interested in qualified Referees' opinions as to whether or not they agreed in principle. Details could be worked out later. I just feel it's unfair to have a goal prevented by a handball. I will stick with my opinion that it should be a yellow card...

The problem, as I see it, with your scenario is that several things could happen. The player could mis-control the ball; the player could stumble, the shot might hit the post or go wide. I am talking about an obvious goal, you are talking about an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. In the game I...

I believe the dog or ball boy scenarios are covered by the "outside agent" phrase resulting in a dropped ball, if I'm not mistaken.

My scenario refers to the ball which was obviously going to cross the line but prevented from doing so by a hand/arm. Nothing to do with a foul on a player. The term I used was "obvious goal" not "obvious goal-scoring opportunity".

Thanks for your responses. While I know that the present Law says that the ball must cross the line for a goal to be awarded, could an exemption be written in (as in the case of the Offside Law where players are exempt if they receive the ball direct from a goal-kick, throw-in or dropped ball)...

As part of a match report for a game I attended on Saturday, I wrote the following, on another site: "There should have been an equaliser when a Longwell defender was adjudged to have handled a goal-bound effort on the line by the post. Despite protests directed at the Assistant on that side, a...

Thanks for that. It was just that I have seen referees at, say Sunday League level, telling players to kick the ball out. The other point that I was making was that, even though it should not be allowed, the medical person comes on and successfully treats the player such that he is fit enough...

As a spectator at non-league games, I am usually annoyed at instances of injuries where: 1. The referee and or players call for the player in possession to kick the ball out of play so that an injured player can be attended to and 2. When the physio/medical person has been called on to the field...

Very dangerous to assume. I watch all sorts including Sunday League and Youth games where the incidents I describe have occurred over the years; perhaps 'often' should have read, 'many times'. You will recall I mentioned when a player of the same team calls "leave it".

No, but I am interested in Laws, rules and regulations and the interpretation of them where they are not specifically provided for in the constitution. As a neutral spectator, I often hear fellow spectators berate the referee when I know that the match official is correct but there are certain...

I'm not sure I fully understand this comment. Are you really saying that you and your colleagues don't referee '100% within the laws of the game"? You are not being rude but I don't think I would take up refereeing under those conditions.

It was such an unusual incident that those of us watching gasped in amazement. Usually players put their hands up and shout, "Offside Ref" or "Look at the Lino, Ref" but keep on running.

So the player was a mind reader. I am still not convinced about what was in the Referee's mind, which cannot be proved, and Referee's can change their minds depending on circumstances and no-one would know. As one contributor alluded to: would it be preferential to give the decision which...

Thanks very much for all your contributions. I have had a brief look at the Laws of the Game and found it fascinating that the word 'whistle' is nowhere to be seen. All it refers to is 'a signal'. Then I went to Law 9 Ball In And Out Of Play where it states that, among other criteria, it is in...

This is what puzzles me in various replies. How do the players know what the referee has decided if he does not signal (i.e. blows his whistle) to stop play? We all know that players are can be cautioned if they carry on playing after the whistle is blown. I was always taught to "play to the...

I would prefer a correct decision within the Laws of the Game irrespective of the 'fallout'.

Sorry to draw this out but isn't play live until the ball goes out of play or the Referee stops play by blowing his whistle? If a defender had kicked another player (serious foul play) in the Penalty area but an offside occurred immediately before that, only the offside would have been penalized?