AFC Fylde boss calls for clarity on offside law

Dave Challinor would like to see the offside rules simplified; that was the main point the AFC Fylde boss wished to make following a bizarre incident which saw an opposing player sent off only for the referee to change his mind.
Danny Rowe was at the centre of a contentious decision     Picture: Steve McLellanDanny Rowe was at the centre of a contentious decision     Picture: Steve McLellan
Danny Rowe was at the centre of a contentious decision Picture: Steve McLellan

It happened during the goalless draw at Chesterfield nine days ago, when ref Joe Hull showed a straight red card for deliberate handball only to reverse the decision because Fylde’s Danny Rowe was offside, so was not denied a goalscoring opportunity by the handball.

Challinor is unsure the final decision was correct, recalling an incident last season when a Harry Kane goal was allowed to stand against Liverpool.

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The Tottenham Hotspur striker looked clearly offside but the ruling was that he had been played onside by Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren playing at the ball.

The same ruling could have been applied at the Proact, with Rowe played onside by the handball.

Even so, Challinor wasn’t complaining and believes the bigger issue highlighted by the incident is the unnecessary complexity of the offside laws.

He told The Gazette: “It’s a confusing one and a grey area in the game.

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“I’m old school and think the offside rule should be black and white.

“If you are offside you are offside, whether or not an opponent plays at the ball.

“And I don’t understand how a player in an offside position can ever not be interfering with play.

“The game is complicated enough without rules like that and I’m certainly not criticising the ref at Chesterfield, who I thought did very well in a physical game.”