User:Grover cleveland/History of the laws of the game/laws of 1993


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LAW XI: OFF-SIDE
(1) A player is in an off-side position if he is nearer his opponents’ goal-line than the ball [at the moment the ball is played] unless:—

(a) He is in his own half of the field of play, or

(b) He is not nearer to his opponents' goal-line than at least two of his opponents' [nearer to their own goal-line than he is]

(2) It is not an offence in itself to be in an off-side position.

A player shall only be declared off-side and penalised for being in an off-side position, if, at the moment the ball touches, or is played by, one of his team, he is, in the opinion of the Referee, (a) interfering with play or with an opponent

(b) seeking to gain an advantage by being in that position

(3) A player shall not be declared off-side by the Referee

(a) merely because of his being in an off-side position

(b) If he receives the ball direct from a goal-kick, a corner-kick, or a throw-in.

(4). If a player is declared offside, the Referee shall award an indirect free-kick, which shall be taken by a player of the opposing team from the place where the infringement occurred, unless the offence was committed by a player in his opponents' goal-area, in which case, the free-kick shall be taken from any point within [that half of] the goal-area [in which the offence occurred].

1
Off-side shall not be judged at the moment the player in question receives the ball, but at the moment when the ball is passed to him by one of his own side. A player who is not in an off-side position when one of his colleagues passes the ball to him or takes a free-kick, does not therefore become off-side if he goes forward during the flight of the ball.

2
A player who is level with the second-last opponent or with the last two opponents is not in an off-side position.

X. -- METHOD OF SCORING
Except as otherwise provided by these laws, a goal is scored when the whole of the ball has passed over the goal-line between the goal-posts and under the cross-bar, provided it has not been thrown, carried or intentionally propelled by hand or arm, by a player of the attacking side, except in the case of a goal-keeper, who is within his own penalty-area.

The team scoring the greater number of goals during a game shall be the winner; if no goals or an equal number of goals are scored, the game shall be termed a "draw."

Decisions of the International Board

 * 1: Law 10 defines the only method according to which a match is won or drawn; no variation whatsoever can be authorized.
 * 2: A goal cannot in any case be allowed if the ball has been prevented by some outside agency from passing over the goal-line.  If this happens in the normal course of play, other than at the taking of a penalty-kick, the game must be stopped and restarted by the referee dropping the ball at the place where the ball came into contact with the interference, unless it was within the goal-area at that time, in which case it shall be dropped on that part of the goal area line which runs parallel to the goal-line, at the point nearest to where the ball was when play was stopped.
 * 3: If, when the ball is going into goal, a spectator enters the field before it passes wholly over the goal-line, and tries to prevent a score, a goal shall be allowed if the ball goes into goal, unless the spectator has made contact with the ball or has interfered with play, in which case the referee shall stop the game and restart it by dropping the ball at the place where he contact or interference occurred, unless it was within the goal-area at that time, in which case it shall be dropped on that part of the goal area line which runs parallel to the goal-line, at the point nearest to where the ball was when play was stopped