Is It Offside?

[djones]

Maybe a question for the referees on this site but here was the situation...

• Our forward is lazily coming back from a run up in the offensive half and in an offside position jogging back.
• The ball is now in our end and our goalie clears a back pass high, high in the air under pressure but it only goes about 30 yards and comes down inside our half about 10 yards inside our half
• Our forward races back and brings down the ball inside our half
• Lines woman flags him for offside and the ref blows his whistle.
• They get a restart from their side of centre where our forward was when the ball was kicked

Were they right?

I honestly don't know.

The rules state that if a player is in an offside position when the ball was kicked and get's involved in the play, he's offside.

But it also states that a player CAN'T be offside in his own half.

If the ball never makes it into the offensive zone, where a player can't be offside, can he/she be offside? Does the ball have to cross the plain of the centre line to be offside?

Afterwards, both coaches and referees were still unsure if the call was right.

 

[jimmy_jones]

Maybe a question for the referees on this site but here was the situation...

• Our forward is lazily coming back from a run up in the offensive half and in an offside position jogging back.
• The ball is now in our end and our goalie clears a back pass high, high in the air under pressure but it only goes about 30 yards and comes down inside our half about 10 yards inside our half
• Our forward races back and brings down the ball inside our half
• Lines woman flags him for offside and the ref blows his whistle.
• They get a restart from their side of centre where our forward was when the ball was kicked

Were they right?

I honestly don't know.

The rules state that if a player is in an offside position when the ball was kicked and get's involved in the play, he's offside.

But it also states that a player CAN'T be offside in his own half.

If the ball never makes it into the offensive zone, where a player can't be offside, can he/she be offside? Does the ball have to cross the plain of the centre line to be offside?

Afterwards, both coaches and referees were still unsure if the call was right.

They got it right, if you read what you wrote carefully, which you were very clear on, no doubt offside always

 

[djones]

@jimmy_jones

I think so too - in accordance to the rule - but with the ball never crossing the centre line, I have a problem with it.

I feel that the rule shouldn't apply because the ball never crossed the plain of the centre line AND the player received the ball on his side of centre. I'm trying to find an example from another sport that is similar but I can't think of one to justify either theory.

Then again, there are lots of rules in the sport that pick my arse!

 

[cascadesoccer]

that's a noodle scratcher. Good thing it wasn't our team this year. With our luck they would have scored on the occurring free kick.

 

[dezza]

Yup, 100% offside is the right call.

One thing to note, starting with Euro 2016, a new rule will be in place where the restart will occur where the offending player became involved in the play, even if it's in their own half.