Ask me about being a FIFA-certified soccer referee

[MicroBob]

nc - this is only SOME soccer players. Not all.
Many soccer fans are annoyed by these tactics too.


Regarding the offside stuff. I played a game a couple years ago where their top scorer was kind of kneeling/catching his breath after an attack on our goal. He was about 20 yds offside when they stole the ball at midfield so he made sure to just be walking casually back and not make any attempt to be a part of the play at all.

Attacking team then launches the ball towards our goal and it bounces somewhere in front of the 18 about a mile high. Our semi-incompetent goalie only half-heartedly calls for it and I back-off thinking he's going to take it. But he still muffs it...it deflects off him and the out-of-the-play player is able to step in and deflect it into the goal.

As I said, there is zero question about his offside position. It was by about 20 yds when the ball was struck. The asst-referee who made that call says he wasn't involved in the play. Our argument was, "How can he not be in the play when he scored the freaking goal?!?!"

Our fault for all looking at each other assuming the play would be whistled dead though. I don't think I would have had a chance of getting back there to stop it but I'll never know since I didn't even try.

This ref wears glasses and has had a history of being absolutely horrible. I'm not even sure this was the worst call we've had from him so I just have a tough time accepting his explanation as opposed to some of the other refs in this league who are really sharp.

Anyway, what generally should happen in a situation like this where a lazily walking player has the ball come to his general direction but he doesn't play it until after it deflects off a defending player?