But there are deflections and deflections no? Where a defender deliberately tries to get in the way of a pass, not necessarily with the intention of playing it to a teammate just stopping it going where it was intended to go - is that enough?
The worst thing they’ve done with offside imo is make it arbitrary when you have VAR. With VAR now, many Lino’s don’t flag tight (or even not so tight) calls knowing if a goal is scored directly it’ll be checked. But then you get play continuing and a goal being scored from another phase of play that shouldn’t have happened because the defence should have had a free kick (but VAR won’t check back to the previous phase of play). So effectively with VAR games have an offside rule that is as you both say ruined, that is also only selectively applied.
And these lads want us to respect them more.
My personal view is the offside player sought a clear advantage by offering a passing option, when the player on the ball would otherwise have needed to beat another defender to get a sight of goal. If the pass had reached her it would definitely have been offside; if the defender had known that, she wouldn't have needed to attempt a desperate interception. The linesman put his flag up straight away, but the referee didn't notice until the ball was in the net several seconds later.
Law 11 (Offside) includes the following:
"2. Offside offence
A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched* by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by:
- interfering with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a team-mate or
- interfering with an opponent by:
- preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or
- challenging an opponent for the ball or
- clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent or
- making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball
*The first point of contact of the 'play' or 'touch' of the ball should be used
or
- gaining an advantage by playing the ball or interfering with an opponent when it has:
- rebounded or been deflected off the goalpost, crossbar or an opponent
- been deliberately saved by any opponent
A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent who deliberately played* the ball, including by deliberate handball, is not considered to have gained an advantage, unless it was a deliberate save by any opponent.
*‘Deliberate play’ (excluding deliberate handball) is when a player has control of the ball with the possibility of:
- passing the ball to a team-mate;
- gaining possession of the ball; or
- clearing the ball (e.g. by kicking or heading it)
If the pass, attempt to gain possession or clearance by the player in control of the ball is inaccurate or unsuccessful, this does not negate the fact that the player ‘deliberately played’ the ball.
The following criteria should be used, as appropriate, as indicators that a player was in control of the ball and, as a result, can be considered to have ‘deliberately played’ the ball:
- The ball travelled from distance and the player had a clear view of it
- The ball was not moving quickly
- The direction of the ball was not unexpected
- The player had time to coordinate their body movement, i.e. it was not a case of instinctive stretching or jumping, or a movement that achieved limited
contact/control
- A ball moving on the ground is easier to play than a ball in the air
A ‘save’ is when a player stops, or attempts to stop, a ball which is going into or very close to the goal with any part of the body except the hands/arms (unless the goalkeeper within the penalty area)."
Reading the above, the defender's attempt to intercept the pass and the fact the scorer was never offside suggests a strong argument the goal should have stood, but it's a mess.
Thirty odd years ago you'd see a back 4 playing "the offside trap", rushing out in unison in anticipation of a through ball. Any forward caught goalside of them would be flagged offside as a shot from a teammate flew into the net, even if they were nowhere near the ball and attempting to regain an onside position. Now we have players just goal hanging in offside positions, causing an obvious diversion for defenders, and people expect goals to stand as long as that player doesn't actually touch the ball. We've gone from one extreme to another.
When the same two clubs contested a men's league match at Enfield in December, our opponents had a forward standing offside in the 6 yard box as a shot came in from the edge of the penalty box. Our keeper could possibly have saved the shot, but hesitated to dive in anticipation of the offside player playing the ball. However, he stepped back and let it go directly into the bottom corner instead, the goal stood and cost us a point.
It's become a farce, as so many different scenarios are open to interpretation, and one side or the other will always feel aggrieved. It's bad enough at the highest levels with VAR, but lower level officials just can't win.
