Offsides rule faces a new offensive

“I’d like to think we would put maybe 10- or 20-pound weights on some of these [assistant referees’] flags, make them a little bit harder to raise,” said Machnik, Major League Soccer’s assistant to the commissioner’s office for on-field competition, other wise known as head of officials. “It just takes concentration and a total re-emphasis — the referee, in his pregame with the assistants, has to emphasize it, ‘Unless you’re one hundred percent sure, keep the flag down.’”

The rule was already a point of emphasis for MLS this year after last season’s dramatic increase in incorrectly disallowed goals. Complicating that situation is FIFA’s latest interpretation of the rule, which essentially says a player commits an infraction only if he’s in an offsides position and either touches the ball or directly obstructs the opposing goalkeeper.

“I think everyone who’s been involved in the game — player, coach, administrator — are all kind of still accustomed to the old interpretation,” said D.C. United general manager Dave Kasper. “The play that’s going to get most scrutinized is what constitutes interference.”

“For years, the benefit of the doubt was given to the defense,” said Machnik. “Even used to be off. Now even is on.”

The confusion may have contributed to an opening weekend that Machnik called “alarming,” and after an incorrectly disallowed goal for San Jose defender Ryan Cochrane last Thursday night, Paul Tamberino, U.S. Soccer’s head of officials, conducted a conference call with MLS assistant referees the next day. The message: Keep the flag down.

“Before the first game was played we thought we had a grip on it,” said Machnik. “That’s why the level of disappointment was so high.”

It appears the message was received, and Machnik said the decision that pleased him the most this past weekend was that no flag was raised on Marcelo Gallardo’s goal against Toronto.

“That’s a challenging situation,” said Machnik, “and it stands up to video review.”