Offside
Duties
Critical
Responsibilities of
the
Assistant Referee
Objective
At the end of this lesson, the
learner will be able to state the
critical responsibilities of an
assistant referee during
offside situations.
Duties of the Assistant Referee
Indicate:
 when
ball passes out of the field of play
 which side entitled to that restart
 when a player may be penalized for
being in an offside position
 when substitution is requested
 when misconduct occurs out of the view
of the referee
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Duties of the Assistant Referee
 when
offenses have been committed
whenever the assistants are closer to
the action than the referee (this includes,
in particular circumstances, offenses
committed in the penalty area)
 whether,
at penalty kicks, the
goalkeeper has moved forward before
the ball has been kicked and if the ball
has crossed the line
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What is the most important
duty of the Assistant
Referee?
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The most important duty of the
Assistant Referee is the
determination as to whether a
player is in an offside position and
judgment as to whether said player
is involved in active play.
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Why?
 AR
is in the best position to make call
 can make or break scoring opportunities
 other calls can be “sold” by the Referee
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Critical Responsibilities
 Be
in correct position to judge offside
position
 Be watching the second-to-last
defender when the ball is played
 Be able to quickly determine if an
“offside” player is involved with active
play
 Use correct mechanics to communicate
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How can this be done?
 Concentration
on your responsibilities
– You can’t be a ball watcher
– This will also help with misconduct
 Scanning
the field
– Players, then Referee, then ball
– 70/5/15
 Fitness
– Physical
– Mental
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ELEMENTS OF THE LAW
It is not an offense in itself to be in an
offside position.
 Position
– nearer to opponent’s goal line than the
ball and
– the second last opponent
 Unless
– is in own half of the field
– is level (even) with second last opponent
– is level with the last two opponents
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Is the Red player in offside position?
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ELEMENTS OF THE LAW
 Timing
– at the moment the ball touches or is
played by one of their team
 There
is no offside offense if a
player receives the ball directly
from:
– a goal kick
– corner kick
– or a throw-in
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Should the Red player be penalized
for being in an offside position?
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ELEMENTS OF THE LAW
A player in an offside position is
only penalized if, at the moment the
ball touches or is played by one of
his team, he is, in the opinion of the
referee, involved in active play by:
– interfering with play
– interfering with an opponent
– gaining an advantage by being
in that position
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Should the Red player be penalized
for being in an offside position?
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AREA OF ACTIVE PLAY
Is that sector of the
field where players
actively participate
in that play
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Where is the Area of Active Participation?
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Where is the Area of Active Participation?
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MECHANICS
Before raising the flag to indicate a player
is offside, be certain that the player is:
– Involved with active play, or
– Interfering with an opponent, or
– Gaining an advantage by being in an
offside position
Only then signal to the referee when you
are wholly satisfied that this is the case
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Should the Red team be penalized for offside?
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Non-Involvement
Clear intention to not participate:
 Standing still
 Turning away from the play
 Kneeling
 Moving away from active play
 Stepping off the field of play
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MECHANICS
If the player who scores a goal is offside:
– indicate offside infraction with raised flag
– hold until recognized by the Referee
– indicate where infraction occurred
If a teammate of the scoring player is in an
offside position:
– stop, face the field and make eye contact
– keep the flag at your side
– explain circumstances to the Referee
– Referee makes final determination
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Where is the area of active play?
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Where is the area of active play?
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Where is the area of active play?
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Where is the area of active play?
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Where is the area of active play?
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Other Responsibilities
 when
ball passes out of the field of play
 which side entitled to that restart
 when substitution is requested
 when misconduct occurs out of the view
of the referee
 when foul occurs closer to you
 if keeper moves forward before PK
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A
R
A
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Review
 Offside
is your most important duty
 You must instantly recognize offside
position
 You must quickly judge involvement in
active play
 Scanning the field will allow you to view
more than just offside positioning
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If in
doubt,
No Flag!
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Offside
Duties
Critical
Responsibilities of
the
Assistant Referee
A
R
A
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