The head of UEFA referees has called for clarity over the offside rule
The chief refereeing officer of UEFA has met with FIFA and the International Football Association Board to discuss the offside rule.
Offside has been a debatable subject and was raised again following Kylian Mbappe’s controversial goal during France’s Nations League final win against Spain.
Mbappe was originally standing in an offside position, however, he was adjudged to be onside after Spain defender Eric Garcia got a slight touch on the ball after trying to intercept Theo Hernandez’s pass, which allowed the Frenchman to go on and slot the ball home.
After a VAR check, Mbappé’s goal to put France 2-1 ahead stands. Great finish pic.twitter.com/rROjr5xKsm
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) October 10, 2021
The winner was met with confusion all around the world and the head of UEFA’s referees, Roberto Rossetti, has admitted that clarification is needed on the rules as well.
Rosetti said: “Anthony Taylor made a correct decision based on the existing law and its official interpretation.
“The player [Garcia] deliberately intervened to play the ball and the opponent [Mbappe] was not interfering with play.
“However this case shows us that the current interpretation of the law appears to be in conflict with the spirit of the law itself, which is to prevent any player from taking advantage from their offside position.
“UEFA’s stance is that there are ways to improve the wording to bring it into line with the aim of the offside law and of the spirit of the game.”
The Italian then confirmed that he had made contact with both FIFA and the IFAB to discuss the controversy and the ways to resolve the problem at the IFAB’s upcoming technical advisory panel meeting.
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