A&H

Offences and Sanctions for Offside

NOVARef

Active Member
Can you all provide some examples of what this all means or even explain in in simpler terms. This is very confusing to me. Do players leave the field of play without the referee's permission often? What are the practical implications of this. Thank you much!

"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. If the player left the field of play deliberately, the player must be cautioned when the ball is next out of play.

An attacking player may step or stay off the field of play not to be involved in active play. If the player re-enters from the goal line and becomes involved in play before the next stoppage in play or the defending team has played the ball towards the halfway line and it is outside its penalty area, the player shall be considered to be positioned on the goal line for the purposes of offside. A player who deliberately leaves the field of play and re-enters without the referee’s permission and is not penalised for offside and gains an advantage must be cautioned.

If an attacking player remains stationary between the goalposts and inside the goal as the ball enters the goal, a goal must be awarded unless the player commits an offside offence or a Law 12 offence, in which case play is restarted with an indirect or direct free kick."
 
The Referee Store
Do players leave the field of play without the referee's permission often
Perhaps, but it isn't often sanctioned
"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. If the player left the field of play deliberately, the player must be cautioned when the ball is next out of play.
Never seen it. Vast majority of Refs wouldn't have the stomach for it
An attacking player may step or stay off the field of play not to be involved in active play. If the player re-enters from the goal line and becomes involved in play before the next stoppage in play or the defending team has played the ball towards the halfway line and it is outside its penalty area, the player shall be considered to be positioned on the goal line for the purposes of offside. A player who deliberately leaves the field of play and re-enters without the referee’s permission and is not penalised for offside and gains an advantage must be cautioned.
Likewise
If an attacking player remains stationary between the goalposts and inside the goal as the ball enters the goal, a goal must be awarded unless the player commits an offside offence or a Law 12 offence, in which case play is restarted with an indirect or direct free kick."
Not uncommon. Not controversial IMO
 
One example I had as an Observer in a senior game . . .
Reds defender and Whites attacker chased the ball to the Reds' goal line, near the corner flag.
Whites attacker centred the ball just before he and the defender crossed the goal line and ended up hitting the barrier.
Another attacker headed the cross from near the penalty mark to another attacker standing a metre from the goal post, with only the goalkeeper on the line. The player by the post headed the ball into the goal.
Attackers celebrated, defenders claimed offside.
Referee looked at AR, who signalled "goal"
Referee confirmed "goal"
After the game . . .
I fielded questions and abuse from Reds officials, then went to the dressing room to see 3 anxious faces!
Goal was correct, as the defender off the field was counted as being on it.
 
One example I had as an Observer in a senior game . . .
Reds defender and Whites attacker chased the ball to the Reds' goal line, near the corner flag.
Whites attacker centred the ball just before he and the defender crossed the goal line and ended up hitting the barrier.
Another attacker headed the cross from near the penalty mark to another attacker standing a metre from the goal post, with only the goalkeeper on the line. The player by the post headed the ball into the goal.
Attackers celebrated, defenders claimed offside.
Referee looked at AR, who signalled "goal"
Referee confirmed "goal"
After the game . . .
I fielded questions and abuse from Reds officials, then went to the dressing room to see 3 anxious faces!
Goal was correct, as the defender off the field was counted as being on it.
So let's say that attacker centered the ball and crossed the goal line just as you stated, and then immediately stepped back in and got up the field a few yards and everything else happened just as you said after he got back up field....it would still be a goal because that player who went out is considered on the goal line until the next stoppage of play....is that correct? Is there an example or someone leaving the touchline that affects offside? Could a defender try to save a ball from going out of bounds, boot it up, stumble off the field, return, move up field, but until a change of position or next stoppage, where he went out is an imaginary line where an attacker can get up to and still not be in an offside position?

I don't even understand the other two paragraphs/situations and how they happen in reality. Any thoughts?
 
Players off the FOP during the normal playing of the game just boils down to common sense. The quotations refer to when a player leaves the FOP without the Referee's permission, which during the normal course of play is a rare event
Vast majority of player's leaving the FOP without permission, occur during stoppages. Even then, a rare sanction
 
The defender language evolved from the concern of defenders stepping off the field to argue they no longer "counted" for OS as they were off the field. You are unlikely to ever see it in a real game. Players going on and off the field in the course of play is simply part of the game.

The attacker language should really be removed from the book as archaic. Long ago, involvement for OS was much more broad that it is today. A ball passed at an OS attacker would draw an immediate flag. So the game allowed the attacker to step off the field to clearly communicate to the R that he was not part of the play--and then the attacker needed permission to come back on. In today's game, with the very precise requirements for active involvement, there is absolutely no reason for an attacker to do this. I doubt any players who aren't refs even know this provision is in Law 11 (heck most refs probably don't remember this provision) . You'll never, ever see it happen.

The final paragraph, about being inside the goal, really isn't important either. All it really says is that there is no inherent offense by standing inside the goal.
 
The defender language evolved from the concern of defenders stepping off the field to argue they no longer "counted" for OS as they were off the field. You are unlikely to ever see it in a real game. Players going on and off the field in the course of play is simply part of the game.

The attacker language should really be removed from the book as archaic. Long ago, involvement for OS was much more broad that it is today. A ball passed at an OS attacker would draw an immediate flag. So the game allowed the attacker to step off the field to clearly communicate to the R that he was not part of the play--and then the attacker needed permission to come back on. In today's game, with the very precise requirements for active involvement, there is absolutely no reason for an attacker to do this. I doubt any players who aren't refs even know this provision is in Law 11 (heck most refs probably don't remember this provision) . You'll never, ever see it happen.

The final paragraph, about being inside the goal, really isn't important either. All it really says is that there is no inherent offense by standing inside the goal.
Thank you!
 
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