Date:         Thu, 6 Dec 2001 11:56:07 -0800
Reply-To:     Discussion of Topics for Soccer Referees <[log in to unmask]>
Sender:       Discussion of Topics for Soccer Referees <[log in to unmask]>
From:         Jim Geissman <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: Gaining an advantage and thus offside - Second Example
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> 1) interfering with play.
> My response - until a defender was interfered with, or the ball
> touched, I just don't see how a person running alone (ie, not in a
> crowd where they would be interfering with others nearby) can be
> construed as interfering with play.

From this, one concludes that if the offside player
gets the ball far from anybody else, dribbles to the
goal, and scores, he's not interfering with play
because there's nobody else around.  Or if there is
a footrace between this offside attacker and the
goalkeeper for a through ball, and the goalkeeper
gets there first, then the offside player didn't
interfere with play.  That is not true.

I believe people who play the game understand there
are more ways to be involved in play than touching
the ball or bumping into an opponent.