Hi ,
Here is a new memo from USSF clarifying an earlier position. We have already doing this based on earlier USSF discussions; here it is spelled out for you.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Tom
To: National Referees
National Instructors
National Assessors
State Referee Administrators
State Directors of Instruction
State Directors of Assessment
State Directors of Coaching
From: Paul Tamberino, Director of Referee
Development
Alfred Kleinaitis, Manager of Referee
Development and Education
Subject: When
Defenders Leave the Field
Date: August 12, 2009
A more definitive interpretation of
Law 11 (Offside) was circulated this year by the International Board as part of
its annual notice of Law changes and clarifications. This has led to some discussion among
referees, players, and coaches regarding how this interpretation should be
implemented in different game situations involving a defender leaving the field
during play across the goal line or touch line.
The following scenarios should be considered:
- During the normal
course of play. The critical issue is
whether, in the opinion of the referee, the defender's action was a normal
part of play. For example, the
defender left briefly to get around an opponent or the defender's momentum
necessarily resulted in crossing the goal line or touchline. In this case, no violation has occurred
and the defender is expected to return to the field without undue
delay. The permission of the referee
is not required.
- Attempting to create
an offside situation. If, in the opinion of the
referee, the defender left the field with the intention of placing an
attacker in an apparent offside position (by changing the determination of
which teammates are the last and second to last defenders), this is a
violation of the Law and a form of misconduct (leaving the field without
the permission of the referee).
However, play should normally be allowed to continue but the defender
off the field is considered to be on the closest point of the boundary
line for purposes of determining an attacker's offside position. Thus, if the defender on the field
closest to the goal line is the goalkeeper standing a few feet from the
goal line and the defender left the field across the goal line, that
defender is, in effect, considered to be on the goal line as the last
defender and the goalkeeper has become the second to last defender.
- Misconduct. When a defender has committed misconduct
by leaving the field in an attempt to place an attacker in an offside
position, the referee's normal course of action is to allow play to
continue but to caution the defender when the ball goes next out of play. However, it is not necessary to wait for the ball to leave the field. The next stoppage of play could occur in
a number of ways - a foul or a serious injury or the expiration of time,
for example. The referee could also
whistle to stop play solely because the attacking team no longer controls the
ball (e.g., a shot on goal by the attacker is saved and held by the
goalkeeper). In this case, the
stoppage is due solely to misconduct by a player off the field: after
showing the yellow card, the restart would be an indirect free kick for
the opposing team where the ball was when play was stopped by the referee.
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