Welcome to this week's edition of Don't Fight The Laws, in which I combine my years of being a referee with my years of being a smartass to provide my answers to your questions about the Laws of the Game, controversial decisions and other odds and ends relating to referees and what they do.
Got a question? Send it over to canadiansoccerguys@gmail.com. But for this week, we have the following...
Sometimes a ref doesn't make an offside call when a player is off but is not a part of the play. How is this determined? Also, if a player steps over the touchline, can he use this as a tactic to avoid an offside call?[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] -- Kill The Ref
I'm a bit leery about answering a question from someone using a moniker like "Kill The Ref"... but I'll chalk it up to a "Die Bart Die"-esque misunderstanding, and we'll proceed.
Being actively involved in play is necessary in order for an offside offence to occur. An attacking player can sit around discussing Middle East politics with their opponent's corner flag for 90 minutes, but so long as they're not interfering with the ball or any opposing players, they're doing no wrong (as it pertains to the Laws of the Game, anyway).
All players are prohibited from intentionally leaving the field of play without the referee's permission (with the exception of normal circumstances where the players have the ref's implicit permission, e.g. retrieving the ball for a throw-in), so if a player left the field to attempt to circumvent the offside rule, they would be punished with a yellow card. But what I'm guessing you're really curious about is Ruud van Nistelrooy's goal against Italy at Euro 2008:
The goal created plenty of controversy -- yet despite the hyperbole from the commentator in this clip, the correctness of the call was backed up by the likes of Italy's head referee at the time. Panucci, though he was off the pitch, was ostensibly closer to the goal line than van Nistelrooy; therefore, there were two defending players nearer to the goal line than van Nistelrooy; therefore, legit goal.
The hubbub caused FIFA to add the following clarification to the Laws of the Game: "Any defending player leaving the field of play for any reason without the referee’s permission shall be considered to be on his own goal line or touch line for the purposes of offside until the next stoppage in play. If the player leaves the field of play deliberately, he must be cautioned when the ball is next out of play."
That applies whether the defender is bundled into by their own goalkeeper (a la Panucci) or if they're stupid enough to try enhancing an offside trap by intentionally sauntering off the field. The point is, the ramifications for offside are the same regardless of the player's intent as it relates to being off the field; the only variable is whether the player faces any punishment for leaving the field to begin with.
How much contact between players is too much contact? How does a ref draw the line between allowing a player to force an opponent off the ball, and calling a foul for a hockey-style body check? (I mean, if a player leaves their feet and leads with their elbow, a la David Myrie's debut for the Union, obviously they've crossed the line, but how can a ref consistently call subtler infractions?) -- CasualSoccerFan
Again, I'll lead off by addressing your Internet handle: No one who can easily cite a particular instance of physical aggression by some random Costa Rican playing for an MLS expansion team is a "casual" soccer fan. Just sayin'.
As for your question, defining "too much contact" is like defining "too many drinks". It really does vary each time, depending on the situation -- meaning, there's no complex formula involving velocity and whatnot burrowed away in the Laws somewhere (trust me, I've checked). The only guideline refs are given in determining a foul vs. "normal physical play" is in Law 12, which states that charging or pushing an opponent becomes a foul if it's done "in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force."
There are supplemental guidelines laid out as to what constitutes "careless", "reckless" and "using excessive force", but as with many other Laws, this one's up to the discretion of the referee, who can take into account any number of factors, including the situation in the game, the recent history of the player in question and where the ball is on the field.
The type of game itself is also important; I'll delve into my personal experience for an example. I've found myself calling subtler infractions more strictly when dealing with, say, teenagers in a house league, since they often need to be told by the ref what rule it is they're actually breaking. On the other hand, most participants in adult leagues become annoyed if the ref perpetually whistles for ticky-tack calls, so a more deft touch is necessary in these circumstances.
No matter the situation, player management is key -- the players need to know what the ref is, and isn't, calling as a foul, and he/she needs to attempt to do so with as much consistency as possible. Failing to be consistent, as a referee, is like being that guy whose moment of falling-off-chair inebriation is never predictable from one pub night to the next. And nobody likes that guy.
As a defender in a beer league, the offside rule, strictly called as is can burn way too many calories. Chasing a guy down who the one central ref is planning on blowing dead seems crazy. I keep telling the young refs in our league to be more vocal, manage the game (blowing the whistle for a foul with no signal of which way just added to the clash of egos that happens in beer leagues). Are refs taught to be non-verbal? I'm not going to turn around to look for a raised hand (or stand there with my own up) while I'm chasing some "thinks he's fast" 20-something. -- coppercanuck
I'm not going to take issue with your username, coppercanuck. Seems good enough. The "canuck" part obviously has my seal of approval, while "copper" is solid and mysterious -- do you mean the metal, or the colloquial term for a police officer? What's your connection to the metal/police angle? So many questions.
Instead of answering those, I'll answer yours which, for recap's sake, is "Are refs taught to be non-verbal?"
Though it's been eons since I got my refereeing certification, I think I can safely say the answer is no. In fact, it's quite the opposite. In directing young refs, one of the main points I attempt to get across is that communication is critical in both preventing problems before they arise, and effectively defusing situations when they do occur. Then again, most of the refs I'm mentoring are officiating munchkins who are only twice the size of the ball they're kicking, so the communication issue isn't really as relevant.
In terms of your situation, it's likely a matter of, as you say, young refs being in over their heads. Think about it. How many fellows are there in your league, 40- or 50-something, no-nonsense blokes from the "old country" who know every single thing there is to know about football, and have no problem whatsoever ripping the piss out of some snot-nosed 20-something Canadian wanker who thinks he's hot shit because he has a whistle? It can be intimidating, and many young officials (even those with solid knowledge of the Laws) can clam up, for fear that opening their mouths will make the situation even worse.
(Oh, and if you're telling the refs to be more vocal, etc. during the course of the game, you might be making things worse, because what you perceive as being friendly, constructive criticism could -- through the haze of exhaustion -- be perceived as just another personal attack on the ref's authority and credibility.)
Not to mention, calling offside from the middle of the field is fucking impossible. I haven't the slightest clue why anyone thinks it's reasonable to ask any referee, at any level, in any competition, to correctly judge offside without the help of assistant referees. But it ain't. It's essentially the equivalent of asking a driver to recite a poem, written on an index card, being reflected in the rear-view mirror, as he attempts to navigate a snowy mountain road... while piranhas are biting his genitals.
So, what to do? Well, if you're gonna try to help the ref, talk to him before the game. Make friends with him. Let him know you and your teammates aren't going to rip his head off (even if you are). At the same time, realize that mistakes are going to happen, and that offside calls are never going to be predictable. Then, with all the extra calories you burn chasing down those youthful punks, you can treat yourself (and possibly the ref) to an extra pint afterward.
Just don't fall off your bar stool. Nobody likes that guy.