Jovan
04-29-2008, 05:38 PM
To: National Referees
National Instructors
National Assessors
State Referee Administrators
State Directors of Instruction
State Directors of Assessment
cc: State Directors of Coaching
Referee Committee
From: Alfred Kleinaitis
Manager of Referee Development and Education
Subject: Offside and Interfering with Play
Date: July 26, 2007
The attached clip displays an offside decision in a match between the U.S.
Women’s national team and Brazil played on June 23 at Giants Stadium in East
Rutherford NJ. Early in the match, the U.S. team (Lopez) took a corner kick which was
played into the top of Brazil’s goal area. A Brazilian player headed the ball out but it was
returned by Lori Chalupny toward her teammate, Cat Whitehill (#4).
Whitehill, while on the run, neatly flipped the ball above an opponent and ran
forward, in effect passing the ball to herself as she then retook control of the ball past the
second to last Brazilian opponent, with only the goalkeeper to beat. When Whitehill
flipped the ball up, a teammate (Heather O’Reilly) was arguably in an offside position
(the camera angle makes an independent decision unclear).
However, O’Reilly was flagged for an offside violation even though she did not
touch the ball and her teammate, Whitehill, was running hard from an onside position to
retake control of the ball. The only action O’Reilly took was to wait for her teammate to
control the ball and then to run alongside her as Whitehill dribbled to the goal, kicked,
and put the ball into the net.
The assistant referee should have withheld the flag until it was clear which of the
two attackers, one (O’Reilly) in an offside position and one (Whitehill) running hard
from an onside position to collect her own pass, would get to the ball first. O’Reilly
neither interfered with play nor with an opponent.
The goal should have been allowed.
National Instructors
National Assessors
State Referee Administrators
State Directors of Instruction
State Directors of Assessment
cc: State Directors of Coaching
Referee Committee
From: Alfred Kleinaitis
Manager of Referee Development and Education
Subject: Offside and Interfering with Play
Date: July 26, 2007
The attached clip displays an offside decision in a match between the U.S.
Women’s national team and Brazil played on June 23 at Giants Stadium in East
Rutherford NJ. Early in the match, the U.S. team (Lopez) took a corner kick which was
played into the top of Brazil’s goal area. A Brazilian player headed the ball out but it was
returned by Lori Chalupny toward her teammate, Cat Whitehill (#4).
Whitehill, while on the run, neatly flipped the ball above an opponent and ran
forward, in effect passing the ball to herself as she then retook control of the ball past the
second to last Brazilian opponent, with only the goalkeeper to beat. When Whitehill
flipped the ball up, a teammate (Heather O’Reilly) was arguably in an offside position
(the camera angle makes an independent decision unclear).
However, O’Reilly was flagged for an offside violation even though she did not
touch the ball and her teammate, Whitehill, was running hard from an onside position to
retake control of the ball. The only action O’Reilly took was to wait for her teammate to
control the ball and then to run alongside her as Whitehill dribbled to the goal, kicked,
and put the ball into the net.
The assistant referee should have withheld the flag until it was clear which of the
two attackers, one (O’Reilly) in an offside position and one (Whitehill) running hard
from an onside position to collect her own pass, would get to the ball first. O’Reilly
neither interfered with play nor with an opponent.
The goal should have been allowed.