The most controversial law in football is the one that deals with offside. It is very technical, radical and extremely difficult to implement, but obviously interesting when applied correctly in a match situation. Center umpires and their assistants are generally encouraged to demonstrate conscientiousness in the application of this highly sensitive and controversial law.
One unique thing about the offside rule is the fact that the world governing body, FIFA, usually changes the rules periodically and also gives the assistant referee the power to rule a player who is in an offside position. play. The central referee, following the determination of his assistant, can make the final decision to stop play.
Therefore, the need for the assistant referees to be fully focused for the duration of the game cannot be compromised, as lack of concentration can be very costly. A 100% guarantee and an attempt to be in active play by an attacker directly implies that the assistant referee will mark positional play offside. To mark an offside position, there are two conditions involved:
Position and activity / position without activity
The fact that an opposing player is in the opponent’s half of the court does not necessarily constitute an offside position. The active participation of the player is very important when making a call. The guilty player must intend to interfere with play before being penalized for an offside position.
Therefore, the assistant referee must ensure that, before raising the flag, he must be absolutely sure that the player:
- involved in active play
- interfere with an opponent
- seeking to gain an undue advantage by being in that position
The FIFA Laws of the Game are normally reviewed periodically, hence the need for the referees and their assistant to familiarize themselves with the current additional rules. The controversy surrounding this rule led FIFA and some football associations to sanction the use of a fifth referee who usually stands by the goal line during matches.
Exceptions to the rule
A player cannot be considered to be in an offside position when he receives the ball directly from:
- a throw-in
- a goal kick
Physical and mental fitness is required among referees to ensure that one is not too far from the actual playing position. When a referee is not physically or mentally fit, the tendency to make mistakes when scoring becomes unavoidable.
In conclusion, a player cannot be said to be in an offside position if he does not interfere with play. This means that it is not an offense in itself to be in an offside position. The assistant referee makes a call when a player is closer to his opponents’ goal line than the ball and the second but last opponent.
