Check on this logo for FIFA Laws of the Game
From: "U.S. Soccer Communications" <communications@ussoccer.org>
To: "State Directors of Coaching"
Subject: Offside Offense on a Corner Kick
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2008
From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center:
To: National Referees
National Instructors
National Assessors
State Referee Administrators
State Directors of Instruction
State Directors of Assessment
; State Directors of Coaching
From: Alfred Kleinaitis
Manager of Referee Development and Education
Subject: Offside Offense on a Corner Kick
Date: April 24, 2008
Officials must remain focused and vigilant in order to make correct offside decisions, particularly in situations where an offside violation is not expected. Such was the case last Sunday, April 20, in the match between Kansas City at Chicago when corner kicks were called in favor of Chicago.
Twice, in a set play often referred to as a “short corner,” Chicago players (#21, Mapp, and #10, Blanco) committed offside violations which were not detected by the officiating team. Referees must remember that Law 11 states there is no offside offense if a player receives the ball directly from a corner kick.&nbs p; However, once the corner kick has been taken (i.e., after the ball is kicked and moved), all play occurring afterward must be closely monitored for a possible offside offense and all the usual requirements of Law 11 must be applied.
The accompanying video clip highlights how a corner kick can develop almost immediately into the sort of play where an offside offense can occur. The referee and assistant referee should have been alerted to this challenge by the presence of two attackers close to each other at the corner, a team tactic which has become more common in recent years. The corner kick taker plays the ball to this nearby teammate. The teammate stops the ball to allow the kicker to play the ball again or may even play the ball back to the corner kick taker. However, the moment the teammate makes contact with the ball, the assistant referee must quickly determine if the basic conditions of an offside position exist regarding any attacke r but most particularly regarding the corner kick taker.
If at least two defenders had been standing on the goal line at the moment the Chicago attacker stopped the ball which he had received from the corner kick, there would have been no offside position and therefore no offside violation in either situation.
This is a difficult play to observe and the purpose of this paper is to raise awareness as to its challenges for the officiating team. Referees and assistant referees should also be prepared for actions by the opposing team to counter the “short corner” tactic, including an increased likelihood of an encroachment violation as opponents attempt to move in closer to mark both attackers.
Viewing U.S. Soccer's Referee Position Papers:
To view the video related to this email and others like it from the U.S. Soccer Referee Department, log onto ussoccer.com's YouTube page and go to "Playlists" and then to "Playlist Name: U.S. Soccer Re feree Department" or click one of the links below. This recent addition to the ussoccer.com's YouTube page is the place to get caught up on all of U.S. Soccer's rule interpretations.
If you would like a copy of this video clip to download (file size: 1.4 MB), please reply to this email or send an email to communications@ussoccer.org.
Subject: Advantage in the Penalty Area
Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2008
From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center:
To: National Referees,National Instructors,National Assessors,State Referee Administrators,State Directors of Instruction & nbsp; State Directors of Assessment, State Directors of Coaching
From: Alfred Kleinaitis
Manager of Referee Development and Education
Subject: Advantage in the Penalty Area
Date: April 11, 2008
Special circumstances govern the application of advantage for offenses committed by defenders inside their own penalty area. Although the basic concept of advantage remains the same, the specific decision by the referee must be governed by both the close proximity to the goal and the likelihood of scoring from the penalty kick restart if play is stopped instead of applying advantage.
The basic elements of the decision are straightforward:
- Advantage is a team concept and thus the referee must be aware not only of the fouled player's ability to continue his or her attack but also of the ability of any of the player's teammates to continue the attack themselves.
- Advantage has been applied when the decision is made, not when the advantage signal is given. The signal itself may often be delayed for 2-3 seconds while the referee evaluates the advantage situation to determine if it will continue.
- Where it does not continue, the Laws of the Game provide for the referee to stop play for the original foul.
- If the original foul involved violence, the referee is advised not to apply advantage unless there is an immediate chance of scoring a goal.
Inside the penalty area, the competitive tension is much greater and the referee is called upon to make quicker decisions. The time during which the referee looks for advantage to continue becomes defined by the probability of scoring a goal directly following the foul or from the subsequent play.
In the attached clip of an incident occurring in the 27th minute of a match on April 9 between New England and Kansas City. NE defender #31 (Nyassi) fouls KC attacker #11 (Morsink) near the top of the penalty area. Just as Morsink is fouled, however, he passes the ball to his teammate #19 (Sealy).
The referee properly recognized the advantage but then whistled for the foul against Morsink after he decided that a goal would not be scored by Sealy. In fact, Sealy made a shot on goal just as the wh istle sounded and the ball failed to enter the net.
- In the absence of a whistle stopping play and if the ball had entered the net, the advantage would clearly have continued and the goal would be counted.
- If, in this case, the ball had entered the goal after the whistle had sounded, the goal could not be counted.
- Ideally, the referee in this incident should have delayed stopping play for the original foul until he saw more concretely what Sealy would have been able to do with the ball.
In this incident, the penalty kick for the original foul was successful.
Viewing U.S. Soccer's Referee Position Papers:
To view the video related to this email and others like it from the U.S. Soccer Referee Department, log onto ussoccer.com's YouTube page and go to "Playlists" and then to "Playlist Name: U.S. Soccer Referee Department" or click one of the links below. This recent addition to the ussoccer.com's YouTube page is the place to get caught up on all of U.S. Soccer's rule interpretations. If you would like a copy of the video clip (1.19 MB), please reply to this e-mail or send an e-mail to communications@ussoccer.org.
Subject: Objects on the Field
Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2008 15:23:56 +0000
From the U.S. Soccer Communications Center:
To: National Referees
National Referee Candidates
National Instructors
National Assessors
State Directors of Referee Administration
State Directors of Referee Instruction
State Directors of Referee Assessment State Directors of Coaching
From: Alfred Kleinaitis
Manager of Referee Development and Education
Subject: Objects on the Field
Date: April 3, 2008
Soccer matches are exciting events, attended by partisan fans who celebrate the successes and bemoan the reverses of their favorite team. They wave flags, blare trumpets, beat drums, swirl scarves, and, sometimes, they throw things onto the field. Usually, what is thrown onto the field (confetti and streamers) is inconsequential, at most a momentary distraction.
At times, however, what is thrown onto the field constitutes a serious interference in the match, either because of the specific nature of the object (e.g., bottles or l it fireworks) or because of the volume of the material covering the field and making the surface dangerously unstable. In such cases, the referee must suspend play, preferably at a stoppage called for some other reason but otherwise without delay if the issue is the safety of the players, the officials, or team personnel in the technical areas. Before play can be resumed, it is the responsibility of the home club (the organization sponsoring the match) to resolve the problem without undue delay. Under certain circumstances, the referee may consider removing players from the field for their safety during this time.
A more difficult case is presented when what is thrown onto the field is not intrinsically dangerous but carries the threat of interfering with play in some significant way. Referees are, of course, alert to such interference when a ball enters the field and comes close enough to play to be mistaken for the match ball. Another example that might be cited is an EPL match (Sheffield United v. Manchester City) in which, about 10 minutes into the first half, the ball was played into the attacking third of the field at a time when more than a dozen balloons were also in the area (it may be important to note that the balloons were generally similar to the match ball in size and color).
On a shot across the face of the goal, the ball hit a balloon, causing the former to be redirected slightly and the latter to be knocked toward the goal. Further play resulted in other balloons moving and bouncing in front of the goalkeeper. A goal was scored during what may have been a very confusing few seconds.
In these “gray area” situations, the referee must evaluate a number of factors in order to determine if and when play should be suspended until the problem is resolved.
To: National Referees
National Instructors
National Assessors
State Referee Administrators
State Directors of Instruction
State Directors of Assessment
State Directors of Coaching
From: Alfred Kleinaitis
Manager of Referee Development and Education
Subject: Padded Goal Structures
Date: March 14, 2008
An issue has recently arisen regarding whether, under the Laws of the Game, the goalposts and/or the crossbar may be padded. The suggestion has been made that this could be considered a safety issue, that such padding is commercially available, and that it could be applied in such a way that the dimensions of the goal structure remain within the requirements of Law 1.
Despite these understandable concerns and good intentions, U.S. Soccer cannot approve the use of padding on goalposts or crossbars in affiliated matches for the following reasons:
· The Laws of the Game do not include padding of the goalposts and/or the crossbar as part of the equipment used on a field.
· The Laws of the Game already provide for the referee's obligation to not permit a game to be played if, in the opinion of the referee, the goal is dangerous in any way.
· An unpadded goal structure is not inherently dangerous.
· Padding could hide defects or dangerous goal conditions and interfere with the referee's evaluation of the safety of the goal.
· Padding on the goal structure could interfere in unpredictable ways with the play of the ball.
U.S. Soccer takes note of the fact that some matches might be played on fields controlled by public authorities which themselves require the padding of goal structures as a condition for using their facilities.
Subject: Offside Myths
Date: October 17, 2007
In response to the suggestion that there is “widespread confusion” regarding Law 11 (Offside), the allegation that referees are being inconsistent in applying the requirements of this Law, and the increasing use of phrases like “passive offside,” we would like to offer the following brief explanation to assist in understanding the meaning and application of Law 11.
There is no such thing as “active offside” or “passive offside” despite the common use of these terms, particularly by commentators. They are, at best, merely shorthand phrases coined for easy reference to the two central concepts in Law 11. Unfortunately, as with so many shorthand phrases, they often confuse rather than clarify what needs to be understood. In general, “passive offside” is used to identify an attacker who is in an offside position but not involved in active play, whereas “active offside” is intended to identify an attacker who has become actively involved in play while in an offside position.
Law 11 has two core threads- these are position and offence. The offside position, has a well-established meaning and its concept is clear:
A player is in an offside position if he is nearer his opponent’s goal line than both the ball and the second last opponent
- A player is not in an offside position if:
- He is in his own half of the field of play.
- He is level with the second last opponent.
- He is level with the last two opponents
- The judgment as to the offside position is determined at the moment the ball is played by a member of the player’s team.
Offside position is factual based on the relative positions of an attacker, the ball, the halfway line, and the second last opponent.
The offside offence is, by contrast, a matter of interpretation by the officiating team and, while the concepts are equally clear, some clarification as to how the officials reach their decision is offered:
- Being in an offside position is not an offence in itself.
- A player in an offside position is only penalized if, at the moment the ball is played or touched by a teammate, he is involved in the active play by interfering with the play, interfering with an opponent or gaining an advantage by being in that position.
- A player who receives the ball directly from a goal kick, throw in or a corner kick has not committed an offside offence.
- A player’s offside or onside position at the time the ball is touched or played by a teammate cannot be changed by any subsequent movement of the player, the opponents or the ball, so long as there has been no intervening play of the ball by an opponent. An offside or onside position is based on where the player is when the player’s teammate touches or plays the ball, not where the player becomes actively involved in play.
There must be a clear understanding that an offside position is decided based on a moment in time – when the ball is touched or played by a teammate – whereas the offside offence is judged from that moment onward. In other words, having in effect taken a snapshot of player positions and frozen their onside or offside positions at that moment, the officials must then judge whether players in offside positions become involved in active play. This involves weighing the direction and speed of the ball, the direction and speed of the player in an offside position, the direction and speed of any teammates coming from onside positions and the position and movement of any opponents relative to players in offside positions.
Although this sounds very complex and perhaps beyond the abilities of mortal men and women, in reality the decision-making process of a properly trained official is smooth and calculated to reach a correct interpretation of each situation. What is important to remember is that match officials take into consideration the whole playing scenario across the entire field from where the play started, factoring in the elapsed time, whereas many observers often only focus on a few players, over a short period of time, based on the direction of play and where it ends up.
How is the determination of “active involvement” made leading to a decision to penalize for offside?
“Interfering with play” means touching or playing the ball last touched or played by a teammate. ; In this context, touching and playing the ball are considered equivalent actions by the player. At a meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) on 11 August 2005, this point was clarified as follows: “A player in an offside position may be penalized before playing or touching the ball if, in the opinion of the referee, no other teammate in an onside position has the opportunity to play the ball.” This clarification means that the player could be penalized immediately rather than having to wait for a physical touch of the ball if, in the opinion of the referee, there was no teammate in an onside position who could compete for the ball. It follows that, if there were a teammate coming from an onside position who could play the ball legally, it would be necessary to wait to see which player actually got to the ball first.
“Interfering with an opponent” means preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play th e ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or movement, or by a gesture or movement which in the opinion of the referee deceives or distracts an opponent. We also have to remember that:
- Attackers clearly behind a defender do not interfere with them.
- Merely knowing that an opponent is in offside position does not justify a defender claiming that he was interfered with.
- An attacker raising his hand to signify no involvement does not, by itself, constitute an action which “deceives or distracts.” Indeed, in this context, there is no need for an attacker to signal “no involvement” as his involvement can be objectively determined by what he does, not by what he fails to do.
“Gaining an advantage by being in that position” means playing a ball that rebounds to him off a goalpost, crossbar, or an opponent, having been in an offside position when that phase of play began. In effect, this particular element is an extension of interfering with play, compounded by the rebound of the ball. In cases where this aspect of law is invoked, confusion sometimes arises from the fact that the attacker in an offside position would not have been penalized for offside if the ball had not rebound to him or her in this passage of play.
The approach taken by most match officials is to wait and see. In these circumsta nces it may appear that the official is late or slow in signaling the offence, but in reality he or she has taken all the evidence presented to him or her, applied the knowledge and understanding of the criteria and come to a balanced decision. This may have included the fact that the player was not initially involved in active play and therefore no signal was given. It is almost universally accepted that, if there is any doubt, then the balance of doubt is given to the attacker.
We have addressed the specific instances in separate correspondence. The purpose of this communication is solely to provide an extended discussion of the elements from Law 11 that we have applied in responding to requests for “rulings” regarding specific offside incidents. We also hope that you actively (rather than “passively”) discourage the use of the phrases “passive offside” and “active offside” as they are not part of the Law and only lead to confusi on. If you have any points or queries you wish to raise on this paper, please do not hesitate to contact us.
- Subject: Offside Issues
Date: October 16, 2007
During a match between FC Dallas and the Columbus Crew on October 6, 2007, a sequence of play occurred which resulted in the scoring of a goal by Columbus player #12 (Eddie Gaven). At the time, Columbus player #26 (Andy Herron) was indisputably in an offside position and some analysts of the play have suggested that the goal should have been canceled because Herron had committed an offside infraction.
Being in an offside position is not an offense. A player in an offside position is only penalized if he is, in the opinion of the referee, involved in active play by:
- Interfering with play, or
- Interfering with an opponent, or
- Gaining an advantage by being in that position.
Below, using the guidance provided by FIFA, we examine whether Herron should have been penalized for being in an offside position.
Although Herron is seen sticking his leg out as the ball passes him, there is no contact with the ball and therefore Herron cannot be considered to have interfered with play. This is a fact.
The camera angles on the several replays of the event on the attached clip do not provide us with a clear line of sight from the perspective of the Dallas goalkeeper #30 (Ray Burse) so we must draw our conclusions from what can be seen. First, Herron is about 12 yards from the Dallas goalkeeper when the play was initiated by Columbus. Accordingly, Herron occupied only a small portion of the goalkeeper's field of view and it is therefore inconclusive that Herron interfered with the goalkeeper by blocking Burse’s view of the path of the ball. Second, th ere is no video evidence that Herron's actions deceived or distracted the goalkeeper (much less any other defender). The goalkeeper's position to defend against this shot on goal appears to be set by the trajectory of the ball as it left Gaven's foot, not by any action taken by Herron. The evidence thus supports a decision that Herron did not interfere with an opponent.
Gaining an advantage while in an offside position is not an issue here since there was no deflection from the goalposts, crossbar, or a defender. This also is a fact.
As a consequence, none of the elements of involvement in active play while in an offside position were present and the referee's decision not to penalize Herron for his position must be supported.
Viewing U.S. Soccer's Referee Position Papers:
To view the video related to this email and others like it from the U.S. Soccer Referee Department, log onto ussoccer.com's YouTube page and go to "Playlists" and then to "Playlist Name: U.S. Soccer Referee Department" or click one of the links below. This recent addition to the ussoccer.com's YouTube page is the place to get caught up on all of U.S. Soccer's rule interpretations.
Manager of Referee Development and Education
Subject: Handling Injuries
Date: October 12, 2007
An incident at the first U.S. Soccer Development Academy Fall Showcase tournament led to extensive discussions regarding the correct referee actions to be taken when a goalkeeper and opponent are injured. The lack of a single clear answer among the many experienced observers gathered there is the reason for this position paper.
Injuries pose numerous difficult decisions for the referee. On the one hand, soccer is a game of continuous action in which stoppages are and should be infrequent. On the other hand, player safety is an obvious matter of concern. Since stopping play may be beneficial for one team, an added issue is the possibility of a player simulating an injury or its degree of severity in an effort to gain that benefit.
Law 5 establishes several basic principles regarding player injuries:
- If, in the opinion of the referee, the injury is serious, play must be stopped.
- If, in the opinion of the referee, the injury is not serious, treatment of the injury is delayed until play is stopped for some other reason.
- If the referee stops play for an injury, the injured player must leave the field and cannot return until play is restarted and the referee gives permission.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB), in its Additional Instructions and Guidelines (AIG) which accompany the Laws of the Game, has clarified certain issues:
- An injured player may not receive treatment on the field unless the injury is "severe" (immediate medical attention is needed).
- An injured goalkeeper is not required to leave the field and may receive treatment while on the field.
- The refusal of an injured player to leave the field despite being required to do so is a cautionable offense (unsporting behavior).
- The removal of an injured player must be swift but safe.
- The referee may signal permission for medical personnel (including stretcher-bearers) to enter the field to assist in the player’s removal from the field (or to provide emergency first aid).
Referees should keep in mind the following additional guidelines regarding the handling of player injuries:
- A player may seek assistance and treatment off the field during play if given permission by the referee to do so (permission is also needed to return to the field, which may occur during play).
- A player who is injured may leave the field for treatment and return to the field before play resumes if the stoppage was not solely for that player’s injury and if medical personnel were not called onto the field by the referee to aid the player’s removal.
- “Medical personnel” for purposes of these guidelines includes any team official who has responsibility for the player in the absence of available trained medical staff.
- If a goalkeeper is seriously injured as a result of a collision with a teammate or opponent and the teammate or opponent is also injured, all players injured in the collision may be treated on the field and are not required to leave the field.
- A player for whom the referee has requested medical personnel to enter the field at a stoppage is required to leave the field and may return with the referee’s permission only after play has resumed even if the stoppage was not expressly for the injury.
Evaluating and balancing these factors must be done quickly and fairly, with appropriate regard for the age and skill of the players. In all cases of doubt, the safety of the player must be the referee’s primary concern.
- What is the likelihood that the foreign object(s) might interfere with the safe movement of the players?
- What is the likelihood that the foreign object(s) might confuse players and/or disrupt the flow of play?
- Is the problem with foreign object(s) primarily at one end of the field and therefore more likely to disadvantage one team over another?
Play should not be suspended for inconsequential reasons and the referee must remain vigilant to the possibilities of the match being disrupted by the sudden appearance of unwanted objects on the field. Match officials must be sensitive to things which interfere unduly with the beauty of the sport and make a mockery of skilled play.