The Ref Stop

Club AR misses offside

T

The Referee

Well-Known Member
If a club linesman misses an offside but you see it, do you call it and risk uproar from the opposition or ignore the offside because the linesman didn't call it?

Hypothetical example:

A goalkeeper rushes off his line and is no longer the last defender - a defender standing on the goal line is now the last defender.

An attacker is standing behind the goalkeeper but in front of the last defender (in an offside position) and receives the ball from a teammate and scores.

The club AR doesn't know the laws as well as he should and keeps the flag down.

What would you do?
 
The Ref Stop
I have given the offside when a NAR has got it wrong so would definitely give the offside on this occasion. It would be worth shouting that “the goalkeeper’s out so it needs two to keep him on!” You’ll find most people actually know this, and when you tell them the penny will drop!
The CAR probably knows this as well but it happened too quickly for him to think about it.
 
Completely agree--CAR or NAR, you as R are responsible for the call. From the middle, we can rarely catch the close ones, but if it is clear enough that we can, we absolutely must. (Unless it doesn't matter--if the ball immediately goes out for a GK, for example, we can spare the AR and talk about it later.) And when an AR misses the obvious, we should also think about our positioning and whether we can get away with "cheating" to be better able to see OS at that end of the field.
 
A "Standard" offside where the ball is played forward from deep I would normally accept a no-flag and move on, although I have overruled some over-eager flags in the past.

When something weird happens (keeper out of position, ball pinging around the box etc), I agree that even with NAR's, we need to be in a position to help out and make the call. Even the best AR's can be caught out when something strange happens, a sub with a flag shoved into his hand for the first time has no chance.
 
The Referee said:
An attacker is standing behind the goalkeeper but in front of the last defender (in an offside position) and receives the ball from a teammate and scores.

The club AR doesn't know the laws as well as he should and keeps the flag down.

What would you do?
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This one, you have to give. There's absolutely no doubt that this was an offside offence - and a goal has resulted from it. As others have said, if it's a close one and you can't even be totally sure if the player really was offside (and CAR's are supposed to make the offside calls) then you probably don't want to give it. But that's not the case here.
 
This is the same as it a club AR who is not quite clued up with the rules and flags incorrectly. You over rule. You make the decision.
CARs are not a fail safe. Ultimately you always make the decision. Sometimes this will be independent of, in agreement with, or in conflict with CAR.
 
I once caused a mini riot waving play on to stick on not-offside goal. 11 players and manager surrounding me but to a man they don't know the law in this specific incident and I stuck to my guns, 2 yellows followed, could have been 11 :cool:..... Imagine if the CAR was correct and also didn't flag, they'd of lynched him!!! Similar incident happened a couple of weeks later on MOTD and I rang the manager to make sure he was watching!!!
 
Sheffields Finest said:
I once caused a mini riot waving play on to stick on not-offside goal.
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Without going into identifiable specifics of the actual incident, I'd be interested (from a purely academic standpoint) if you could tell us, what was the overall principle of why it was not offside? Was it perchance, a 'phase of play' thing?
 
Peter Grove said:
Without going into identifiable specifics of the actual incident, I'd be interested (from a purely academic standpoint) if you could tell us, what was the overall principle of why it was not offside? Was it perchance, a 'phase of play' thing?
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A fluffed clearance by a CH with the ball coming off him to a CF in advance of the last defender. CF didn't challenge for the ball so its game on!!

I was called a few choice phrases! It is one of the relatively unknown laws (by players) that its not an offence to be in an offside position and if you don't join in active play you can stand there all day!!!
 
Give the offside

I think in 6 seasons I've probably overidden CARs maybe 5 times, either allowing play to continue, or giving an offside they didn't see.
 
My 5 cents here.. its rare in our division to have full referee team. So on odd ocassion, if club offers AR, i usually instruct them to indicate balls out situations, and stay away from calling offsides. As R, its my responsibility to be in the best position on the field to determine the offside. Saying that, if i have NAR who isnt experienced, i would overturn their offside indications if i see them wrong. I would normally tell both teams before kick off, that AR is junior and final decision is up to me.
 
samogonochka said:
My 5 cents here.. its rare in our division to have full referee team. So on odd ocassion, if club offers AR, i usually instruct them to indicate balls out situations, and stay away from calling offsides. As R, its my responsibility to be in the best position on the field to determine the offside. Saying that, if i have NAR who isnt experienced, i would overturn their offside indications if i see them wrong. I would normally tell both teams before kick off, that AR is junior and final decision is up to me.
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?!?!?!? Why on earth would you throw your teammate under the bus before the game even starts?!?!?!?

Of course you have responsibility for the ultimate call on every OS--even if you have a premier league AR slumming and helping on your line. But please don't undermine your new teammate's credibility before the game.
 
I will try and add value from a different angle.

The Referee said:
do you call it and risk uproar from the opposition
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If one is not willing to make the tough and unpopular but correct calls, one is doing oneself, the game and one's colleagues a disservice. Make the correct call, sell it the best you can and deal with any consequences accordingly.
 
I was just thinking that a club AR watches his own team's defensive line and flags offsides against the opposition. If he misses an offside, can it be considered his team's loss?

I know football decisions are not meant to be made on appeal but club ARs are the first to complain when I wave play on after they flag incorrectly.

It just seems to be risking game management because the opposition will point to the club AR and say "not even they think that's offside!"
 
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The Referee said:
I was just thinking that a club AR watches his own team's defensive line and flags offsides against the opposition. If he misses an offside, can it be considered his team's loss?

I know football decisions are not meant to be made on appeal but club ARs are the first to complain when I wave play on after they flag incorrectly.

It just seems to be risking game management because the opposition will point to the club AR and say "not even they think that's offside!"
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I always put my CAR's on their own defence as it incentives them to at least try to keep up with play. If they're behind play, I'm much more inclined to wave them down and if I allow a goal that should otherwise have been disallowed because of that, it's the CAR's own team that loses out.

I've had matches where one team turns up with a bare 11 (or less) and the other team has turned up with at least 2 subs and offered to put one on each line. I always leave it up to the defensive team if they want to accept that assistance or not.
 
one said:
I will try and add value from a different angle.


If one is not willing to make the tough and unpopular but correct calls, one is doing oneself, the game and one's colleagues a disservice. Make the correct call, sell it the best you can and deal with any consequences accordingly.
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I see what you did there @one .....its all about you isn't it?
 
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