U.S. Soccer Referee Position Paper: May 4, 2007

[jkc313007666]

in 2010 FIFA ruled for the AR to keep the flag down when 2 players, 1 off and 1 on, go for a ball until the ball is actually touched. This video is from 2007 and the AR did not call Donovan offside but the other player who was making a run at the ball. Me, I'd leave the flag down anyway but in 2007 this was an accepted call

[hawkdalian]

player does not have to touch the ball to be considered involved in the offside play.

the reason we have referees in soccer games is not only because players like you don't know the rules, but also don't know how to shut their mouth.

[94samboy]

the blondie went for the ball, if he had left it he wouldnt be offside but he went for it but he was called offside NOT donovan

[chitybam94]

the blond guy went for the ball and thats offside

[northshore7x]

GREAT CALL..........outside defender steps up .........Donovan is offside..........in addition..........the referee is STANDING next to Donovan........learn your rules

[rslnerd]

The call was incorrect. Drawing defenders doesn't imply involvement in active play. If A takes a shot on goal from 20 yards out, and he has a teammate, B, in an offside position near the goal line, B cannot be ruled to have committed an offside offense if the goalkeeper cheated toward B to cover a possible pass. Likewise, the player in the offside position in this video cannot be deemed to have interfered by drawing defenders toward him.

[redsquall5]

@rslnerd You are incorrect. The reason we say "involved in the play" is because you dont have to touch the ball to be guilty of offside. The situation you described is used at thousands of ussf clinics every year to explain how a player can be guilty of offside. If in the opinion of the referee, the player in the offside position drew the defender, then he is guilty of offside. I agree with you about this particular play though. Ther ref made a judgement call and failled

[adirondaker]

Truly, it was the "right call", player was involved in active play, going for the ball, not touching it, but drawing defenders.

However, sometimes slow flags help.

Donavan made a clean play, he should have been allowed to continue, not a bad call, just a bit early, when the situation fixed itself.

Spirit of the Game, and Law kind of stuff.

[WarHawk207]

buccos, no one cares that you're 15. By saying you could make that call, you're assuming that your lower level games are just as intense as the mls (even though mls sucks, relatively speaking). I'm sure if the AR could watch the replay several times he would conclude the "correct" call also. And how can you tell the AR put the flag up first?

But this clip shows the true beauty of soccer, the fact we are human and mistakes will happen. If every infraction was called, the game would be no fun.

[buccos2324]

NOT offside because player didn't interfere w/ play. Law 11, "Interfering with play means playing or touching the ball passed or touched by a teammate." The player in offside position didn't touch the ball.

Appendix 3, "a player in an offside position 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 the ref's opinion if other onside players could have played the ball.

[Qboy316]

@buccos2324 ha, the announcers clearly don't know what they are talking about. the ar had to have meant the player at the top was offside. he does lunge ahead right when the ball was kicked, so I can see how he got it wrong...

[jelloman619]

awsome

[bluedragon636]

what the heck the other dude that donovan passed was offside not him!

[AntoKneeo619]

offiside because of the player that moves, donovan doesnt have a fault..but his partner does

[ansarbano]

worse lines ever

[krimo10]

Bad call

[AlbertRodriguez19]

lol funny

[armichael111]

that was not offside!

[CoolAlana]

i play soccer

it so much fun

[babicz]

Dude me too!!! I love it!!!

[bluehive]

Bad call and not offside, and a nice piece of play.

FIFA rules are pretty clear, and here in the UK where I referee I follow the PIG rule

If a player doesn't (P)lay, (I)nterfere, or (G)ain an advantage it's not offside.

Being in an offside position is not an offence in itself.

If a player leaves the field of play to ensure not being in an offisde position, they must wait for the referees permission to come back into play.

[RightWinger16]

There was a passive offside call on the other striker going for the ball. Referees need to stop this nonsense of 'Passive' Offside calls. They think they see the play ahead of time. Well listen here linesmen, unless you play the ball, you dont know the play. So keep your damn flag down until someone who IS offside actually touches the ball.

[buccos2324]

Your absolutely right! I am a 15 year old Assistant Referee and I could have made the right decision! Come on! Is it THAT hard to be an AR? If I can do it (I'm grade 8), certainly a Grade 2 or 3 referee should be able to!

[redsquall5]

@buccos2324 The offside is the most difficult call to make in the game. Either your instructor failed to impress this upon you, or you failed to pay attention.

[shmo7]

@RightWinger16 Donovan was offside when the ball was passed to him. thier is no such thing as passive offside.

[Deandre0068]

TERRIBLE call!!!

[PumasFan16]

he wasn't going to make it anyway!

ps donovon sucks

[nukedukem31]

The rule here is that the guy in offside position did not:

-Touch the ball

-Interfere with opponents

-Gain an advantage such as a rebound off a defender or the goal post

Donovan was clearly onside. Bad decision by the AR that probably took away a goal.

[xterrasr4life]

Thats actually the right call in case anyone wondered!

[ansarbano]

bad calll

[mustang0777]

No, once the referee decides, not when he blows the whistle, that plays will stop, the ball is dead. A dead ball cannot be used to score. Although he did have a good chance of scoring, the assistant referees error likely cost him a job.

[xterrasr4life]

Actually, that is the correct call. There are 3 criteria in which a player may be guilt of offside. The third is that a player may not seek to gain an advantage from that position. The striker, not Donovan, made an attempt at the ball, thus seeking an advantage. The assistant referee made the right call...Donovan should be made at his team mate and not the referee.

[gatorade3721]

whats the differnce between a pro ref and a high school ref? Nothing!!!!

[NEOGEO4]

it is a right call because the player who was offside made an attempt to play the ball

[sek120]

that was really close. he looked onside from that angle but the camera was just slightly off the line. he might have been a step off.

[mirobaldo]

The call of the referee is correct, the tall player close to the referee is in offside and run to get the ball. The guy is an active player in this action and the ref consider him in offside correctly...

[isoadam]

Correct Decision.

He ran toward the ball, therefore he is involved in the play.

[pachucaeric]

well we call it soccer yuh dur!!

[Jdrummer22]

agreed the player who played the ball was onside, but like someone else pointed out, the other player did make a clear attempt at the ball before backing off and letting his teammate take it. Its an arguable call but I believe the right one. Once the whistle has been blown the play is dead. The center could have waved down his AR and then gone back to discuss it after play stopped. hope that answers your question

[yanksfan0320]

new interpretation given by FIFA this past year, involvment = touch on the ball. this is exactly why they tell you to hold the flag...

[Mostrico64]

That's a tough call, but I think it was the right one. Although Donovan was the one that got to the ball, the pass seemed to be for the other player, they were too close.

[scorpionking1200]

im a refree that was in side bro!

[pt09]

the guy that ran for it but didn't get it ATTEMPTED to get it and that's why it was called offsides,because HE WAS offsides, even though he didn't get it, it was meant for him, not for Donovan who was onside;when he got it the play was dead..and it couldn't have been overturned.

[erol12345]

the guy passed to offside player not to landon danovan so it is clear offside.

[homy2004]

no way was he offside, no way!

[starbury6]

The player in the offsides position made a move toward the ball so therefore you have to put the flag up!

[vissequ]

I think in an ideal world, he would not have been called offside, as Donovan was in an onside position, and (because of his speed) beats the player in the offside position to the ball. Because of Donovan's speed, he gets there before the offside player can make a play, so the offside player doesn't, IMO, interfere with play, however, he DID go for the ball, which could be considered interfering with play, and the ref team could definitely make a case around that and justify the offsides call.

[mbaptiste3]

justinrice - you can't really overturn an offside call primarily because the players stop playing when the whistle blows. The ref made the wrong decision - he should have let play proceed and if it was determined to be offside, then the goal is disallowed. Only way to do it.

[mbaptiste3]

Absolutely onside - FIFA clarified that you pretty much have to play the ball or interfere to be called. The offside player didn't obstruct the defender. Donovan was off like a shot from onside and got the ball - he got robbed.

[moaizerecordbreaker]

bad call lino, t'was onside

[RSmassacre]

That guy was way off-sides. It was a perfectly good call.

[justinarice6]

If he had kicked it anyway and scored could they have had it overturned?

[Lahela12]

yes, a goal will be overturned if the player was from an offside position.

[ChicoEscuela]

It's either called or it is not, so as soon as first offside player went to the ball the whistle blew. If he did not make a play on the basll (in the opinion of the ref) then Landon could have ran onto it - no whistle, no call, likely 1v1 goal. There would be arguing but not reversal.

[RSmassacre]

No if you score when you are off-sides it doesn't count because you had an unfair advantage.

[YUYelling]

the striker who was closest made an attempt to play the ball. Thats why he was called offside.

[toffeeman2112]

The current interpretation of the law (set last June) states that the player has to play the ball to be called offside. Even if the Linesman went by the old interpretation, the player in the offside position still wasn't in a position to play the ball.

[pro3238]

no he didnt. he pulled back and was not involved in the play. clearly onsides.

[ChicoEscuela]

Exactly, and unfortunate that he did too because Landon came from an onside position. Also, if the defender moved towards offside player and the pass went towards Landon, that too would be offside. Look up the "active play" variations of the offside rule.

[NottzBraap]

its called FOOTBALL!

[IamRamos]

actually the brits made up the term football, so please research before you speak.