The offside rule - explained!
Long before Ruud van Nistelrooy's controversial winning goal that that earned Manchester United a 3-2 win over Southampton on Saturday, the new interpretation of the offside law has baffled officials and supporters alike.
The Dutchman was offside at the time Ronaldo's freekick was taken but was not flagged because he was not "interfering with play", a phrase that looks set to become part of the fabric of the game.
Officials at the FA insist that the offside rule, as such, has not changed and that it is merely the interpretation that has altered. The decisive move took place in September at a meeting of the International FA Board, the game's rule-making body, and was apparently transmitted to all managers.
Match officials were given specific instructions not to flag too soon in order to ascertain whether the player in question was actually gaining an advantage or whether he was simply in a "passive" position and was not involved in the action.
Keith Hackett, a former Fifa referee and one of England's top officials until he retired in 1995, said too much was being made of the new Fifa edict but understood why so many grass-roots fans were confused.
"What Fifa have attempted to do is to give further advice. Assistant referees have been given clear instructions not to decide too soon in order to see if the player is involved in active play," said Hackett, who is now in charge of Premiership refs.
"Where you have a forward who is actually running back, he will not be pulled up because this player is deemed to be passive. If, however, a player is in an offside position he has not committed an offense unless he is deemed to be active.
Likewise, for instance, if a left winger is technically in an offside position from a freekick on the right but has nothing to do with where the ball is played into, he is no longer offside."
All very clear then. No?
Hackett acknowledges the new interpretation regarding what has become known as "second phase play" will take time to filter through the game but one thing is clear: assistant referees will no longer automatically raise their flag - or shouldn't - until they are sure whether the player involved has affected play.
"I know lots of managers are wondering how their teams can defend against the new guidelines but the fact is they have all been informed about it for weeks," said Hackett.
"We are all susceptible to change, however subtle, but it's strange it has taken this long to come out in the public domain. The first question to ask is will it lead to more goals and I suggest it will. In the old days, the benefit of the doubt was always given to the defender. Now, hopefully, it will be given to the attacker."
HTH.