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defender blocking shot diverts ball to attacker in offside position

happy whistler

Active Member
Incident in game attackers shot from outside penalty area. defender is about 4 metres away and sticks out leg to block shot and diverts ball to another attacker inside the penalty area who was in an offside position when the shot was initially taken. The block had changed the direction of the ball quite considerably. Should I have given offside or not ?
 
The Ref Stop
Deflection or save = Offside
Deliberate play of the ball = not offside

And "save" means going towards or very close to the goal.
Direction change of ball not important.
"Block" is not in the LotG

Sounds like you had a "save" - so, Offside! :)

(Edit: 'going towards' is synonymous with "going into" in the above text if anyone feels uneasy at the thought of the LotG not being directly quoted verbatim at all times;))
 
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These are tough to give at grassroots without upsetting people. I had one very similar over the weekend where a ball was played forward, the striker who knew he was offside stoodcompletely still and put his hands up in a ‘I’m not interferring’ Type way (the ball foreard was awful, a good 5 yards away from him). The defender tried to hoof it away first time, sliced it and played it straight into the path of the attacker who took it down, ran away and scored. I awarded the goal and it was safe to say a few dissent cards followed even after explanation ....
 
I caused WW3 once allowing one similar to stand with a CF miles offside but CH defender clearly played the ball and made a complete Horlicks of it. Safe to say I knew I was right but 11 home + subs and manager weren't sending me xmas cards that year.... 2 Lemons handed out and they always mentioned it years later, they still weren't having it!!
 
Had one on Saturday... defender totally mistimed and got a loud but very very slight nick on the ball, didn't deviate, and the ball ran through to the offside attacker for a one-on-one from 40 yards out. It was already 4-0 in heavy conditions. I stuck my flag up, ref and I looked at each other... we knew...

It wasn't a deflection, not a save, it was a deliberate play of the ball... but... no one is expecting play on, both teams have stopped, I put my flag up because if I don't it will be mayhem and all credibility and match control out the window... wrong in law but I think smart...
 
Nobody going for offside based on “gaining an advantage by being in an offside position following a deflection off an opponent” ? (Pg 98)

My flag would be up here.
 
Nobody going for offside based on “gaining an advantage by being in an offside position following a deflection off an opponent” ? (Pg 98)

My flag would be up here.
If you are referring to the OP, then "sticks out a leg" is not compatible with "deflection" IMHO. "Sticks out a leg" is a deliberate play of the ball. It can be a save, if the ball is heading towards goal, but not a deflection...
 
If you are referring to the OP, then "sticks out a leg" is not compatible with "deflection" IMHO. "Sticks out a leg" is a deliberate play of the ball. It can be a save, if the ball is heading towards goal, but not a deflection...

I stand corrected and shall read full OPs in the future :)
 
Had one on Saturday... defender totally mistimed and got a loud but very very slight nick on the ball, didn't deviate, and the ball ran through to the offside attacker for a one-on-one from 40 yards out. It was already 4-0 in heavy conditions. I stuck my flag up, ref and I looked at each other... we knew...

It wasn't a deflection, not a save, it was a deliberate play of the ball... but... no one is expecting play on, both teams have stopped, I put my flag up because if I don't it will be mayhem and all credibility and match control out the window... wrong in law but I think smart...

It can never be smart to be wrong in Law.

Call it what it was.....bottling the tough, but correct, call.
 
Had one on

It wasn't a deflection, not a save, it was a deliberate play of the ball... but... no one is expecting play on, both teams have stopped, I put my flag up because if I don't it will be mayhem and all credibility and match control out the window... wrong in law but I think smart...
So you knew it was the wrong decision?
Just do your job. Referees need to have the courage to make the call that is correct but difficult /unpopular /confusing /problematic
 
Sticking the leg out is playing the ball. Rebound would be just that - the ball strikes the player, not the player intercepting the ball. It's ridiculously unfair, but that's the lotg
 
Hmmmm. People saying offside was the incorrect decision, then JamesL posts this little beauty. That's why I love this site!
 
There has been at least a couple of threads on this going multiple pages in the last year or so.

Assuming it was not a save, essentially it comes down to the defenition of and the difference between deflection/rebound and playing the ball (surprise surprise, not found in the LOTG). Sticking your leg out, although likely, does not necessarily mean playing the ball if there is contact. FIFA had some material on this and there are a number of factors to consider which include speed and distance. Do you consider what the player did an action or a reaction?

Another way to look at it is did he execute a move poorly or did he have no chance of getting any desired outcome? It's YHTBT for me.
 
There has been at least a couple of threads on this going multiple pages in the last year or so.

Assuming it was not a save, essentially it comes down to the defenition of and the difference between deflection/rebound and playing the ball (surprise surprise, not found in the LOTG). Sticking your leg out, although likely, does not necessarily mean playing the ball if there is contact. FIFA had some material on this and there are a number of factors to consider which include speed and distance. Do you consider what the player did an action or a reaction?

Another way to look at it is did he execute a move poorly or did he have no chance of getting any desired outcome? It's YHTBT for me.
You definitely had to be, as if it is a save i.e. ball going in or close to goal, case closed, whixh is not covered in OP.
 
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