A&H

Defender off the field after a challenge - Offside

B

Bombedcoma

New Member
Ladies & Gents,

Incident at a WNL game I was AR for:

Attacker and defender challenge for the ball. Both go off the pitch (behind the goal). Attacker gets up but defender is down injured. I say clear and loud 'if you're coming back on tell me now' to which I get no response so I said something like 'you're off the pitch and no longer active' as I thought she would be getting treatment. As I then thought she was no longer in play I got back up with the second from last defender as per normal.

Defender then walks back onto the pitch totally throwing my position and slowly ambles up to play. When I spotted (about when she was 6 yards in) I then took up my new position.

Thankfully I noticed early or this could have caused issues.

What would you guys have done?

In wonderful hindsight I feel maybe I should have stayed down with the defender and considered them still active and stayed there. I feel YC for entering the pitch without consent would have been harsh and not 'what the game expects'.

Interested to get some thoughts on this.

G
 
The Referee Store
My first instinct was "what on earth are you doing' but thought I'd look and Lotg says this:
A defending player who leaves the field of play without the referee’s permission shall be considered to be on the goal line or touchline for the purposes of offside until the next stoppage in play or until the defending team has played the ball towards the halfway line and it is outside its penalty area

With that in mind it's certainly a credible decision to make however I'm not sure you have the authority to do it and at the very least ref absolutely needs to be aware (though almost impossible I think without comms).

By making the decision you made the player should be cautioned however there's no way she knows you've made that decision as she never heard you so would be harsh...but by saying it opposition players probably heard you so you might create some problems for yourself and the ref.

Summary...once you've made the determination that she can't come back you absolutely need to be keeping an eye on her for a scenario like this, I'd say this outcome is quite predictable tbh
 
Yes it was one of them 'in the moment' moments. Rewinding I feel I should have just stayed there until (or if) she asked for treatment..that means it is clear she is not coming on.

The ball was kicked what up the field into the other half and everyone cleared off after it. She was down for a number of seconds with no indication to me, I have quite a loud voice but you can never be sure people listen/hear what you say.
 
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As an AR you really need to stay by the goal line, or the keeper, as the defending player who is off the pitch hasn't actually left the pitch, at least until play has stopped or the defending team have cleared the ball. Harsh on the defending team, but as the law is written that's the only interpretation.

On the same basis though there can't be a caution for entering without permission, as she hasn't left without permission.
 
Always looks a bit awkward doesn’t it? I remember a game back along where I was on the line with the ball down my end, but I could still see the assistant on the far side in line with the goal and I thought he was in a daze. Turns out there was a player who got injured behind the goal and tried to be ‘clever’, by moving himself back onto the FOP to stop play, the ref noticed him do it however and kept playing. luckily for him though, nothing came of it
 
Max2 said:
Re the potential YC… utterly illogical. The player had the permission to enter the FOP at the start of the half, they haven’t deliberately left it.
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Yeah similar to a momentum type action taking them off the FOP. Unless they’re asking or receiving treatment then they’re still active
 
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