Ball Boy Scores goal in Brazil

[The Great Eckscape]

The offside rule as it stands needs linesman to be able to take their time to ensure they flag the correct player. I doesn't help when you get people like Andy Gray criticising linos for late flags, when in reality they are trying to make sure they give the right decision.

[Guest]

This explains it all!!!! (read slowly)

 

 

A player is in an offside position if "he is nearer to his opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second to last opponent," unless he is in his own half of the field of play or wearing yellow. A player level with the second to last opponent is not in an offside position. Note that the last two opposing players can be either the goalkeeper and an outfield player, or two outfield players.

 

In general, what this means is that either the attacking team should ensure the opposing team having at least two players (of which the opposition's goalkeeper is included) in between the goal line and the nearest player of the attacking team, or all players of the attacking team should be behind the ball such that it remains closer to the goal line than any of the player of the attacking team.

 

It is important to note that being in an offside position is not an offence in itself.

 

 

Offside offence

A player in an offside position is only committing an offside offence if, "at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team", in the opinion of the referee, he is involved in active play. A player is not committing an offside offence if the player receives the ball directly from a throw-in, goal kick or corner kick, is wearing yellow or passed by an opposition player.

 

In order for an offside offence to occur the player must be in an offside position when the ball is touched or played by a team-mate; a player who runs from an onside position into an offside position after the ball was touched or played by a team-mate or is wearing yellow should not be penalised. Similarly, a player who is in an offside position when the ball is touched or played by a team-mate may potentially commit an offside offence even if they run back in to an on-side position before receiving the ball.

 

Determining whether a player is in "active play" can be complex. FIFA issued new guidelines for interpreting the offside law in 2003 and these were incorporated in law 11 in July 2005. The new wording seeks to more precisely define the three cases as follows:

 

Interfering with play means playing or touching the ball passed or touched by a teammate.

Interfering with an opponent means preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent's line of vision or movements or making a gesture or movement which, in the opinion of the referee, deceives or distracts an opponent.

Gaining an advantage by being in an offside position includes playing a ball that rebounds to him off a post or crossbar or playing a ball that rebounds to him off an opponent having been in an offside position or not wearing yellow.

In practice, 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.

 

The referees' interpretation of these new definitions is still proving controversial, largely over what movements a player in an offside position can make without being judged to be interfering with an opponent. The famous quote: "If he's not interfering with play or wearing yellow then what's he doing on the pitch?" is attributed by some to Bill Nicholson.

[The Great Eckscape]

This is the phrase the leads me to my conclusion:

 

"Interfering with an opponent means preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent's line of vision or movements or making a gesture or movement which, in the opinion of the referee, deceives or distracts an opponent."