Referees in active offside

DFB Referee Comitee President and former UEFA referee Herbert Fandel (photo above) has defended the passive offside rule following this incident in Mainz last matchday (2:15):

Marco Fritz - or better assistant referee 1 Volker Wezel disallowed this goal. If it had happened last season, the goal would probably have counted, but there was a new instruction for the officials to decide that a player is offside if he irritates the goalkeeper (nothing new) but also as soon as the player being in an offside position ties a defender who is then missing to shield another player. First, we have to state that it is the correct decision made by Wezel, but last Friday, there was a similar situation prior to Dortmund's second goal in Bremen, the assistant referee did not flag for offside. Football supporters will never understand this rule in all its facets as long as there are different evaluations at the same matchday...

Fandel nonetheless defended this rule, as they "try to come to terms with that. Offside always is difficult, there always will be some kind of mumbling", Fandel said. There are even voices that request the complete abolishment of the whole offside rule.

After a Bundesliga matchday with seven penalties in nine matches and four red cards and many difficult or close situations, another topic awakes the German football world's attention: the punishment for professional fouls in the box. The rule does not divide between inside the box and outside the box, it is always a straight red card. Peter Sippel (r.) dismissed Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann (l.) after a foul in the box on Dorge Kouemaha (was it a foul?). DFB referee instructor and former FIFA referee Lutz-Michael Fröhlich said that they "wished that there will be a rule change in the foreseeable future". The DFB suggested a rule change at IFAB's meeting in March 2011 which excepts the "double punishment" (= penalty and red card). The IFAB however, consisting of eight members, amongst there are four FIFA members and four officials coming from England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland. In my opinion, this makes it nearly impossible that there will be considerable changes. Finally, the IFAB shirked that and decided that this would be a task for the FIFA's Task Force Football (many football officials, former players, but also Busacca, Mikkelsen and Alarcón). DFB instructor Lutz Wagner therefore hopes that there will be a rule change "at least before the FIFA World Cup 2014".