bluemooninho said:
Weren't the rules changed slightly in the summer?
In the past, if a defender purposefully kicks/heads the ball and it goes to an offside player, he was still deemed as offside.
The change stated that if the defending player purposefully plays the ball but hits it to the attacking player is not deemed to have gained an advantage. It is highlighted in this report
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2352258/Offside-rule-changed-FIFA--confusion-Premier-League.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... eague.html</a>
GAINING AN ADVANTAGE - what the law now says
“Gaining an advantage by being in that position” means playing a ball…
1. That rebounds or is deflected to him off the goal post, crossbar or an opponent having been in an offside position.
2. That rebounds, is deflected or is played to him from a deliberate save by an opponent having been in an offside position.
3. A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent, who deliberately plays the ball (except from a deliberate save), is not considered to have gained an advantage.
Point 3 would mean that he was not offside.
The Law:
Offence
A player in an offside position is only penalised 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 or
interfering with an opponent or
gaining an advantage by being in that position
Interpretation of the law:
•
“interfering with an opponent” means 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
• “gaining an advantage by being in that position” means playing a ball
i. that rebounds or is defl ected to him off the goalpost, crossbar or an
opponent having been in an offside position
ii. that rebounds, is defl ected or is played to him from a deliberate save
by an opponent having been in an offside position
A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent, who
deliberately plays the ball (except from a deliberate save), is not considered
to have gained an advantage.
They are not giving what is written in the law or by the interpretation of it.
See blue: They are giving offside for players challenging another player for the ball AFTER the ball was played by a team mate if they are in an offside position when the team mate touched the ball. This happened to Aguero early on in the season at home when he blocked a clearance after being offside from a cross/ through ball.
I don't know how it's possible for a player to be challenging another one for the ball at exactly the same moment that his team mate touched it though. If the ball is not in a position to be won how can he challenge someone for it? (I'll have to get my head round that one).
See purple: It clearly shows here that when the defender clears the ball and Lescott deflects it in it's not offside. It doesn't matter if Lescott was stood in an offside position when the ball was headed by Garcia. My mistake, I was wrong before in my previous post and bluemooninho is quite correct.
This law is an ass, it needs someone who can get the wording right then put it in plain English (me :-) or put it in a simple form where there are no ifs and buts.
