Flag staying down for offsides

[Solius]

What’s everyone’s take on this then. It has good (Rashford vs Leipzig) and bad but just saw on MOTD that West Ham scored after a ball was floated towards an offside Haller which forced the Fulham CB to attempt an awkward header. The header fell to Benrahma who then assisted Soucek to score. Surely this kind of scenario should be offside?

I’ve also thought that it costs players in energy really and could cause injury. You could play a pass to an offside player which could cause Shaw for example to sprint back full pelt (because he feels the need to stop it even though there’s a big gap due to the offside) and maybe pull a muscle and it turn out to have happened for no reason once they check it, or the flag goes up when the ball is recovered.

 

[Dan_F]

I didn’t really get the argument they were making on BT earlier. Injuries can happen at any point in game, if they happenwhen a flag could have stopped play it sucks, but there’s no alternative.

Imagine Rashford’s Leipzig goal was ruled out because the keeper saw the linesman’s flag go up and stopped playing.

The other point you made has annoyed me for years to be honest. Anything that makes the defender doubt for a split second is offside. Especially, like you said, if they then have no choice but to rush a clearance and give the ball away.

 

[hungrywing]

Based on nothing but the eyeball test, refs seem to be blowing the whistle later and ditto for flags.

If one could find a change regarding non/late flag frequency pre and post VAR, then there might be something in that (linesmen second-guessing themselves at a rate they weren't pre-VAR?)

 

[Solius]

I didn’t really get the argument they were making on BT earlier. Injuries can happen at any point in game, if they happenwhen a flag could have stopped play it sucks, but there’s no alternative.

Imagine Rashford’s Leipzig goal was ruled out because the keeper saw the linesman’s flag go up and stopped playing.

The other point you made has annoyed me for years to be honest. Anything that makes the defender doubt for a split second is offside. Especially, like you said, if they then have no choice but to rush a clearance and give the ball away.

I agree there’s no real alternative but surely it’s more likely to happen in this situation. The flag not going up when it’s likely offside causes defenders to have to sprint as fast as possible to recover. Whereas usually they are a bit more prepared for that and have dropped back.

 

[Needham]

I hate it too. Paradoxically puts the officials front and centre again. Look forward to the day linesmen are replaced with tennis style sensors and offsides are automatically called with this sound.

 

[SadlerMUFC]

I get it for the close calls. Keep the flag down and sort it out after if there's a goal. But what I don't understand is why the AR's keep their flags down, allow a shot, then put their flag up. Either put it up, or keep it down. These late flags aren't helping anyone. I also don't understand why they keep the flag down until a guy touches it. If a player is offside and chasing a ball he is involved in the play. Raise the flag and stop play. Too many unnecessary injuries can occur because the AR/ref allows play to continue when there is an obvious offside...

 

[Okey]

Even with the rules as they are, I don't understand how West Ham's goal stood. They've chalked off quite a few goals for similar offsides. I'm baffled by that decision.

 

[paraguayo]

The West Ham is not caused by this rule. The player would have cleared that ball with or without VAR, the Fulham attacker didn't go for the ball. This goal has happened hundreds of times before and after VAR