Frequently Asked Questions

We, as referees, are routinely asked questions about laws of the game.  This normally comes in the form of someone screaming from the touchline.  This page is designed to help answer some of those questions.

Q: Why is it that a "handball" violation is only sometimes whistled by the referee?
A: This is perhaps the most popular question.  The laws of the game actually do not address "handballs."  The laws do however address "handling."  The federation has released a directive to cover this topic which explains the nuances very well.

Q: What is offside?
Here is the offside model:

Offside Position
+
Active Participation (any of the three below)

1. Interfering with play = touching the ball
2. Interfering with an opponent = movement or gesture to impede or distract. Blocking the
   line of sight of an opponent
3. Gaining an advantage from the offside position = playing the ball from a
   rebound off a goal post or the crossbar having been in an offside position or
   playing a ball that rebounds off an opponent

=
Offside Infraction (raise flag to indicate offense)

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FIFA has a great interactive tutorial on Law 11.

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