fjthegrey wrote: ↑Thu Dec 02, 2021 12:44 pm
The way I've always seen it is that you don't need to touch the ball to be interfering with play. Defenders are aware of who and what is around them more often than not, just Antonio being where he is, is enough for me to feel like he's influencing the behaviour of the opposition defenders.
I think the ball hits his leg anyway so it's academic.
Sorry FJ that's not the way interfering works:
The FA website wrote:Offside offence
A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched* by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by:
interfering with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a team-mate or
interfering with an opponent by:
preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or
challenging an opponent for the ball or
clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent or
making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball
or
gaining an advantage by playing the ball or interfering with an opponent when it has:
rebounded or been deflected off the goalpost, crossbar or an opponent
been deliberately saved by any opponent
A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent who deliberately plays the ball, including by deliberate handball, is not considered to have gained an advantage, unless it was a deliberate save by any opponent.
A ‘save’ is when a player stops, or attempts to stop, a ball which is going into or very close to the goal with any part of the body except the hands/arms (unless the goalkeeper within the penalty area).
Antonio was actually moving away from the ball.
It's claimed that Duffy's contact with the ball was accidental therefore IF it touches Antonio he becomes active and therefore offside.
But how can Duffy's contact be accidental? Why has he gone to that area of the pitch and why has he swung his leg? Hoping to block any attempt to score obviously - so it's not accidental. And there have been a couple of allowed goals this season scored by players in offside positions because the ball has ricocheted off a defender.
So the issue becomes, was it a save?
Not for me as I think Duffy makes two lots of contact - the first a save - it hits him, the second contact is a result of him swinging his leg, I think intentional to play the ball out, but he just didn't get it right and knocked it backwards. He knew the ball was somewhere near his foot (from the first contact) but misjudged exactly where. Nonetheless it's a deliberate play and not a save.