[CharlesS]

OK, here's a fun one while I'm buried under 20 inches of snow and can't even think about playing.

In the referee forum, there was a discussion on the following tactic:

Station one player near your attacking corner flag at all times. For most of the match, obviously, he simply has to stay out of the play because of the offside rule. However, the advantage is that if you win a throw, you can take a long throw to him and you cannot be offside on a long throw, creating a one on one with the keeper if you quickly make a good long throw.

The questions:

(1) As the opposing coach, how do you combat this tactic? In theory, you should simply have a man advantage and should be able to press it home. However, you have to deal with this tactic somehow, and pulling a player back is a major tactical DISadvantage. Further, there's the mental strain of having an extra and unexpected thing to worry about...

(2) Given this, under what conditions would it make sense for a team to employ this strategy? Discuss...

[CG]

I don't think too many coaches would give up a man to maybe get a chance on goal off of a long throw in. Any time the team with the 'corner flag player' was moving towards their attacking end and got a throw in that player would be covered.

[Steve@HC]

I'd love to play the team that employs that strategy!
Being in a "man-up" situation we would focus on our possession and force the remaining nine defending field players to chase and work twice as hard. When we turned over possession we would press and try to win the ball back immediately. If we were put in a position of defending a long throw-in one of my defenders (preferably one that is quick and a good header of the ball) would drop back and mark the deep attacker.
This strategy (in my opinion) wouldn't make sense at any point in the game - no matter personnel, score, or opposition.

[JohnW]

Originally posted by CharlesS

In the referee forum, there was a discussion on the following tactic:..

Discuss...

You've just demonstrated the difference between the referees forum and the coaches forum. Here, we usually discuss things that might actually happen in a game.

While it is theoretically possible that a coach would do this, as pvan4 has mentioned, no real-life coach would actually choose to play a man (or woman) down during the run of play in order to get a possible advantage on a throw-in only on one side of the field.

Good luck with the snow, though.

[IASocFan]

Good point, John. Must be some of that midwest common sense. Unfortunately, whenever there's a peculiar situation, it's the man in the middle who has to sort it out. We get lots of practice in the what if category - that's one of the differences in our jobs.

[JohnW]

Originally posted by IASocFan
Good point, John. Must be some of that midwest common sense. Unfortunately, whenever there's a peculiar situation, it's the man in the middle who has to sort it out. We get lots of practice in the what if category - that's one of the differences in our jobs.

Don't get me wrong, IASocFan, I love the referees forum. I often visit (though rarely post) and have learned many things about how decisions are made and why. I was just pointing to a difference.

jgw

[GKbenji]

Actually, I can see a coach coming up with this tactic not as a method of attacking, but as a way to burn the clock at the end of a game.

Put the attacker in an offside position deep, almost at the goal line. Every time your team gets the ball, boot it long to that attacker. Attacker goes for ball, it's gotta be called for offside. But the site of the kick is where the attacker was when the ball was played -- all the way at the other end of the field! Someone has to collect the ball, set it, and take the kick, and all the while, the clock is ticking...

And the ref can't really justify adding much time. I can't see justification for a caution for timewasting or USB, either (who would you card?).

Kind of a different take on the old "sit on it in the corner" trick, but taking advantage of the Laws.

[CG]

Originally posted by GKbenji
Actually, I can see a coach coming up with this tactic not as a method of attacking, but as a way to burn the clock at the end of a game.

Put the attacker in an offside position deep, almost at the goal line. Every time your team gets the ball, boot it long to that attacker. Attacker goes for ball, it's gotta be called for offside. But the site of the kick is where the attacker was when the ball was played -- all the way at the other end of the field! Someone has to collect the ball, set it, and take the kick, and all the while, the clock is ticking...

And the ref can't really justify adding much time. I can't see justification for a caution for timewasting or USB, either (who would you card?).

Kind of a different take on the old "sit on it in the corner" trick, but taking advantage of the Laws.

Never really thought of it but sounds like it could work.

[Dan Roudebush]

A good ref wouldn't call the off side if the other team got possession and it was to their advantage to not have the call.. It doesn't "have to be called".

[CG]

Originally posted by Dan Roudebush
A good ref wouldn't call the off side if the other team got possession and it was to their advantage to not have the call.. It doesn't "have to be called".

As long as the attacking player made a play for the ball I think they would call it.