BoroMart
Well-known member
some would have called it off, and some on, then everyone would complain.I agree with what you have said - yes it was technically offside and therefore the correct decision - but when someone is offside by literally a toenail it seems utterly ridiculous to be calling it an offside - before VAR that would have been called level and the goal allowed to stand.
I'm not sure why it's ludicrous to be offside by a toenail, this was about 3 inches of, big toe nails.....but where does this 'zone of doubt' end? is it 1 inch, 6 inches, 18 inches? This idea of a zone of doubt, doesn't resolve anything, it just moves the argument to another area. If we change to anything within 4 inches is too close to call, then people will argue if a single call is 2.8inches or 4.2 inches, is it a toe nail further than the zone of doubt.
Bottom line is, you need a law, you need a law that is measurable and unambiguous, and sometimes it will feel harsh, but it's easily applicable. That's what we have. The alternative is moving the decision point, and having a different argument, I'm not even sure how you can create an unambiguous law of the game that linesmen and refs can understand and enforce, that states that anything tight enough to be within 3 inches should not be flagged offside, how is a lino to make that judgement call?
I create policies and process and procedures as part of my job, you can't create something that isn't measurable and enforceable, but is down to personal interpretation without creating chaos.