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Offside Question

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NOVARef

Active Member
Today I was Assistant Referee (AR) and the attacking player was in an offside position. A long ball was played. The attacker was chasing after it. I was running with the play getting ready to raise my flag once she played/touched the ball but, before that happened, the defender outran the attacker, got to the ball first with the attacker right on her back. The defender took a touch and then played the ball to her keeper. Is this offside? The attacker didn't interfere with play by playing or touching the ball but could this be considered offside for interfering with an opponent? by challenging for the ball? Attempting to the play the ball when it is close when it impacts an opponent? Making an obvious action that clearly impacts on the ability of the opponent to play the ball? I discussed it with the other two referees after the game and we were all torn. I did not raise my flag for offside by the way. Thanks
 
The Ref Stop
NOVARef said:
Today I was Assistant Referee (AR) and the attacking player was in an offside position. A long ball was played. The attacker was chasing after it. I was running with the play getting ready to raise my flag once she played/touched the ball but, before that happened, the defender outran the attacker, got to the ball first with the attacker right on her back. The defender took a touch and then played the ball to her keeper. Is this offside? The attacker didn't interfere with play by playing or touching the ball but could this be considered offside for interfering with an opponent? by challenging for the ball? Attempting to the play the ball when it is close when it impacts an opponent? Making an obvious action that clearly impacts on the ability of the opponent to play the ball? I discussed it with the other two referees after the game and we were all torn. I did not raise my flag for offside by the way. Thanks
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The part I bolded above makes me think this was an OS offense, as it sounds like the OSP attacker was challenging the defender for the ball. As I am picturing the play, I would consider it OS.
 
In practice, I'd just let the game flow and won't signal advantage (unless the keeper receives the ball under pressure). It sounds like a close call and it sounds to me its the best game management approach.

In terms of if it is actually an offence? For me it is more of attempting to play the ball and impacting oppoents. Without the offside player the defender would have likely played differently rather than pass it back to the keeper. But it's one of those that you have to see.
 
Sounds like a simple interfering with opponent by challenging them for the ball.

But if they dealt with it and were able to keep playing this is an opportunity to keep a low profile and let the game flow. If the question is asked, acknowledge it and explain it
 
bester said:
Were there any onside attackers running towards the ball?
If no, just stick your flag up.
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We received clear guidance maybe last year to keep the flag down until the OSP plays/touches the ball unless it looks like the attacker and the keeper may collide, then raise it to avoid the collision.
 
NOVARef said:
We received clear guidance maybe last year to keep the flag down until the OSP plays/touches the ball unless it looks like the attacker and the keeper may collide, then raise it to avoid the collision.
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Hmmmm, that guidance basically wipes out a large section of the laws…..
 
NOVARef said:
We received clear guidance maybe last year to keep the flag down until the OSP plays/touches the ball unless it looks like the attacker and the keeper may collide, then raise it to avoid the collision.
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That advice is incorrect. See the diagrams in the back of the magic book. “A player in an offside position (A) may be penalised before playing or touching the ball, if, in the opinion of the referee, no other team-mate in an onside position has the opportunity to play the ball.”

It’s diagram 5. ( toe there is a separate diagram that shows this should not apply if the ball is going out of play.)

Going back to the OP, it’s possible this could have been applied and the OS flagged before the defender gets there. Once the defender gets there, I think it is an interference with an opponent OS call.
 
NOVARef said:
Today I was Assistant Referee (AR) and the attacking player was in an offside position. A long ball was played. The attacker was chasing after it. I was running with the play getting ready to raise my flag once she played/touched the ball but, before that happened, the defender outran the attacker, got to the ball first with the attacker right on her back. The defender took a touch and then played the ball to her keeper. Is this offside? The attacker didn't interfere with play by playing or touching the ball but could this be considered offside for interfering with an opponent? by challenging for the ball? Attempting to the play the ball when it is close when it impacts an opponent? Making an obvious action that clearly impacts on the ability of the opponent to play the ball? I discussed it with the other two referees after the game and we were all torn. I did not raise my flag for offside by the way. Thanks
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As you have described it, it looks like you were correct to raise your flag for offside. Unless there was another attacker looking like they may get to the ball first, I probably wouldn't wait until the attacker touched the ball before raising my flag.
 
Funnily enough I was gonna use similar sceniario in our RA weekly LotG qestion

Home team No. 8 plays a long ball over the defenders. Home team No. 10 is in an offside position when the ball is played and is clearly running toward it. Before No. 10 can reach the ball and impact play, a defender recklessly tackles him.

Options:
A) Stop play – indirect free kick to the defending team for offside, because Home team No. 10 was in an offside position and moving toward the ball. The defender is cautioned for the reckless tackle.
B) Stop play – direct free kick to the home team and caution the defender for the reckless tackle.
C) Allow play to continue – no offence has occurred, because Home team No. 10 had not yet touched the ball, so the foul cannot be penalised.
D) Stop play – indirect free kick to the defending team for offside, because Home team No. 10 was in an offside position and moving toward the ball. The defender is not cautioned because an offside offence occurred before the reckless tackle.
 
Not sure that it yet completely works as a question without any info on other attacking players. If there are clearly NO other (onside) attackers also running for the ball, then penalising the only one who is running toward it is both acceptable and recommended. Answer A

If, however, there are other attackers (potentially) involved, then no offence has yet occurred and therefore Answer is B
 
Russell Jones said:
Not sure that it yet completely works as a question without any info on other attacking players. If there are clearly NO other (onside) attackers also running for the ball, then penalising the only one who is running toward it is both acceptable and recommended. Answer A

If, however, there are other attackers (potentially) involved, then no offence has yet occurred and therefore Answer is B
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While I can see where you are coming from, penalising the attacker can only happen before the reckless tackle. Once the reckless tackle has happened, retrospectively penalising the attacker at the very least is against the intent of both the clauses of law (1. Penalising offside players before committing an offence, 2. Penalising a foul by a defender on an offside attacker before committing offside offence).

For me the answer is B regardless. Unless the referee had already decided to penalise the offside before the tackle.

I think adding "and the referee allows play to continue" will remove any doubt though.
 
one said:
While I can see where you are coming from, penalising the attacker can only happen before the reckless tackle. Once the reckless tackle has happened, retrospectively penalising the attacker at the very least is against the intent of both the clauses of law (1. Penalising offside players before committing an offence, 2. Penalising a foul by a defender on an offside attacker before committing offside offence).

For me the answer is B regardless. Unless the referee had already decided to penalise the offside before the tackle.

I think adding "and the referee allows play to continue" will remove any doubt though.
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I think we agree completely. In real life, if you haven’t decided to penalise the offside offence before the tackle occurs then it’s a straightforward FK and YC. It’s just that law questions shouldn’t leave wiggle room and the reality is that an attacker simply running towards a ball can, sometimes, be deemed to have committed an offence without actually impacting / interfering with play in any other way.
 
Russell Jones said:
I think we agree completely. In real life, if you haven’t decided to penalise the offside offence before the tackle occurs then it’s a straightforward FK and YC. It’s just that law questions shouldn’t leave wiggle room and the reality is that an attacker simply running towards a ball can, sometimes, be deemed to have committed an offence without actually impacting / interfering with play in any other way.
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The second example on Page 210 of the 2025-26 LOTG confirms that "a player in a offside position may be penalised before playing or touching the ball...."
 
@one Agree.

@DavidObs and other observers. Assuming it was very clear only the attacker running towards the ball from an offside position could play it, and the assistant was waiting until the attacker touched the ball rather than flagging earlier, how would it be marked?
Both in run-of-the-mill scenario where he ends up penalised for offside after playing the ball, and in the scenario where he gets recklessly tackled before touching the ball and an attacking free kick is awarded.

(Assuming no comms)
 
bester said:
@one Agree.

@DavidObs and other observers. Assuming it was very clear only the attacker running towards the ball from an offside position could play it, and the assistant was waiting until the attacker touched the ball rather than flagging earlier, how would it be marked?
Both in run-of-the-mill scenario where he ends up penalised for offside after playing the ball, and in the scenario where he gets recklessly tackled before touching the ball and an attacking free kick is awarded.

(Assuming no comms)
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I was given minor development (a couple of years back at Step 1) for waiting too long to flag a 'lone runner'. It was 30+ degrees and the attacker made his displeasure at the extra running he was made to do abundantly clear :)! However, before flagging"early" you really need to be clear that a) most importantly, there's no other (onside) attackers making an effort to get there and b) slightly less importantly, that the ball isn't going harmlessly out of play before the attacker gets there.

As an Observer, if an unnecessarily delayed flag allowed a reckless tackle to take place, then I'd certainly be including this negatively in the report, exactly in the same way as if an avoidable offside attacker / GK collision took place.
 
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