What to do when your offside view is obstructed as an AR?

[Ref X]

My question is about the offside call at 4:06.

The VAR call is clearly the right one. The left foot of the attacker is offside. IFK for the defending team.

My question is more about what the AR can/should do in situations like this when your line of sight is blocked by another player.

The 3 options in my mind (and in order of what I would choose to do) are...

1. As you’re running, try to crouch a bit and get a view through the legs of the blocker. While not ideal, it’s the only option that pushes you to stay right on the offside line.
2. Be a little ahead of the play to get a direct sightline. The second-best option but far from ideal because you’re not right on the offside line. You have a direct sightline but an imperfect angle to make the right offside call.
3. Be a little behind the play to get a direct sightline. Feels like a golden rule to never purposefully be behind the offside line as an AR. This gives you the same disadvantages as 2 above while you’re also behind the play, making it the last option.

Obviously this officiating team had a VAR team to back them up so they could help them out after the fact. But for the 99% of us who don't have this safety net, what's the right way to deal with this situation?

 

[george.g]

I would argue it's really difficult to make this call real time regardless, as it's so tight, and one of those that at any grassroots level, it falls within the margin of could be, couldn't be.

However, I don't really think the AR has any viable options here to see through Black 20 to see whether this is offside or not. I'd say sacrificing your positioning on the offside line can distort your view of the true offside line quite quickly, therefore not a viable option for me, so at any grassroots level, I'd be biting the bullet here, and even higher, this is a really tough call.

 

[RustyRef]

There's no easy way to avoid this, sadly they haven't yet invented a way of officials being able to see through players' bodies. You can try leaning either way, but then you aren't level and might get the decision wrong anyway.

 

[george.g]

sadly they haven't yet invented a way of officials being able to see through players' bodies

Wrong!! As match officials we should be expected to be able to see everything and anything at any speed, in any location!! I thought this was common knowledge

 

[DazN]

Wrong!! As match officials we should be expected to be able to see everything and anything at any speed, in any location!! I thought this was common knowledge

Just stand where the coaches or the spectators stand, or one of the other players. They always seem to know exactly where a potentially offside player is, no matter what angle they have of it.

 

[santa sangria]

At least I think you should avoid crouching. It doesn’t present well as AR. If you get used to it you crouch more and it doesn’t look authoritative - and I think it impedes movement.

As ref crouching or craning is usually a sign you are in the wrong place and/or not moving when you should be. Another reason to avoid generally.

 

[RefRyanAus]

I was always taught that you can’t call it if you can’t see it and if you are in doubt on offside (at least) the doubt goes in favour of the attacking team. As others have said, at grassroots level this is one of those situations where the offside can’t practically be called due to the obstruction, and the attacking team gains the advantage. Probably happens at least once in every grassroots game (my personal favourite is the fog that hides the second last defender on the far side of the field on a late night game) and shows how VAR has warped our expectations of perfection in community football. No doubt there would be heaps of spectators at different angles to the play shouting ‘offsides ref’ but that is every OS decision so nothing new there…

 

[Kes]

My question is about the offside call at 4:06.

The VAR call is clearly the right one. The left foot of the attacker is offside. IFK for the defending team.

My question is more about what the AR can/should do in situations like this when your line of sight is blocked by another player.

The 3 options in my mind (and in order of what I would choose to do) are...

1. As you’re running, try to crouch a bit and get a view through the legs of the blocker. While not ideal, it’s the only option that pushes you to stay right on the offside line.
2. Be a little ahead of the play to get a direct sightline. The second-best option but far from ideal because you’re not right on the offside line. You have a direct sightline but an imperfect angle to make the right offside call.
3. Be a little behind the play to get a direct sightline. Feels like a golden rule to never purposefully be behind the offside line as an AR. This gives you the same disadvantages as 2 above while you’re also behind the play, making it the last option.

Obviously this officiating team had a VAR team to back them up so they could help them out after the fact. But for the 99% of us who don't have this safety net, what's the right way to deal with this situation?

Whilst none of the above are an ideal solution, my personal choice would be option 2. Never option 3.

 

[Ref X]

As ref crouching or craning is usually a sign you are in the wrong place and/or not moving when you should be. Another reason to avoid generally.

@santa sangria Yep, totally agree on this point. Important to always try to exude confidence.

VAR has warped our expectations of perfection in community football

@RefRyanAus Yeah, agreed. I think a perfection mindset can be helpful as long as if we failed to be perfect (which we will) we don't take it too hard. We want to make every call right but also have to be honest that we just need to do our very best in every moment of the game and that's about all we can do. VAR pushes that need for perfection to the edge and that just may not be possible for those of us without VAR support.

Whilst none of the above are an ideal solution, my personal choice would be option 2. Never option 3.

@Kes Respect!