Understanding the Offside Rule (2)

The Offside Rule is among the shortest rule in the Laws of the game. Short does not imply that it is simple. The problems faced by referees, assistant referees, players and team officials are due to its understanding, interpretation and implementation. Assistant referees interprete it as they see it and team officials interprete it the way they want to see it (normally to their advantage). If their player has a goal scoring chance or attacking move they would prefer the decision to be not offside but if it is the opponent who gets the advantage, they would want it to be ruled offside. Offside is judged at the moment the ball is played by the team-mate NOT when he recieved the ball.

Assistant referees will make mistake in the judgement if he is caught not in position or unattentive. They will also tend to make error in their judgement call when the ball was passed from a distance or a long pass. Strikers moving forward and defender moving up makes the task of judging and alertness difficult. Usually, team official sees the incident after the ball has been passed not at the moment it was passed. The position of the team officials does not give them the right to say that the assistant referee was wrong either as they are not in line to see. Only the video tape can proof what is right or wrong. Assistant referee making a wrong offside judgement in the World Cup will be asked to pack and leave the next day.

It is not an offence for a player who is in an offside position. Thus he is not immediately penalised for it. He is only penalised when he is involved in active play by playing or interfering with play, interfering with an opponent or gains and advantage from being in that offside position.

In the diagram above, the player was in an offside position when the kicked was taken. If the ball goes straight into the goal, the goal would be awarded. Here the ball was deflected from the defender to him. He gains an advantage by being in that position, thus he is rightly penalised for offside. He will also be penalised if the ball was deflected from the goal post, cross bar or even from the goalkeeper to him. He gains the advantage and should be pull for offside.