EP1538456A2

EP1538456A2 - Coherent offside determination system in football

Info

Publication number: EP1538456A2
Application number: EP04028626A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Antoon Soetens
Original assignee: AC Collection bvba
Current assignee: SOETENS MICHAEL
Priority date: 2003-12-05
Filing date: 2004-12-02
Publication date: 2005-06-08
Also published as: BE1015809A6; EP1538456A3

Abstract

System by the determination of the offside in football by activating an emitter at the moment of playing the ball, which sends one radio signal to a receiver, which is activated when a player is in the offside position and which has than the possibility to process the two separately radio signals coming from two different emitters of the two teams to two specific signals.

Description

The offside rule, number 11 of the football rules is based on two actions,

the exact moment of playing the ball to a team-mate
the exact moment that a player is in the offside position

Both actions have to be controlled nearly at the same time by the assistant referee and mostly the two actions are far from each other, while all elements are moving : the players , the ball and the assistant referee.
Further has to be taken in consideration the relative combination and variables of each of these elements, namely speed, time, direction and distance, which increase the difficulty of a decision.
The assistant referee takes the decision if it is an active or passive offside.

The assistant referee has still an other function, namely the control of the touchline. (Figure 2)
As the touchline (B) and the line of the second last defender (A) are perpendicular lines whose intersect at a point (C).
Due to this the assistant referee (AR) is fixed at one point (C).This means that the assistant referee does not have anymore the ability for free moving and is it for him impossible to see the moment that the ball has been played if his view is obstructed by players.
Conclusion : this rule of the game cannot always been controlled what is unacceptable.

The solution has to be a solution of the practice and not a theoretical one.
It is excluded that the referee detects the ball, doing this he neglects his other functions, by controlling what happen, in front of him, beside him and behind him.
It is excluded that two persons detect the ball with an emitter which emits the same radio signal.
The assistant referees can be confused if they receive at the same time a signal if a player of each team is standing in an offside position. One of those signals will not be correct.

The solution: Fig.1

The solution is, that the assistant referee is informed about each played ball by receiving a specific signal.
A second referee (S2) detects the moment of playing the ball from the two teams by activating an emitter, one for each team.
The two emitters send each a different radio signal, Sa and Sb.
The assistant referees AR and BR have each a flag holder containing a receiver, respectively ARR and BRR and they activate their receiver when a player is in the offside position.
The receivers ARR and BRR are able to receive separately both radio signals Sa and Sb and to process them to a specific signal, example a vibration by an offside position or not more a vibration if the ball has been played by a defender.
It is logical that the referee S2 should take the decision to whistle for an active offside.

The referee S2 can also be replaced by two assistant referees BR' for team B and AR' for team A. They can run freely along the touchline.
An offside can only be occurred if the ball has been played to a team-mate who is in an offside position.

If a defender accidentally touches the ball by a played ball between two attackers, a radio signal will not been sent by BR' or S2 as this cannot been considered as a pass between two defenders.

Example in the practice :

Fig. 1
Team A : white ball
Team B : black ball
Playing ball : ball with black points (in front of player 5 from team B)
Emitter : is activated by playing the ball and is than sending one signal.
EA : emitter for team A and EB : emitter for team B.
Receiver : is activated if a player is in the offside position and is than able to receive a signal from an emitter.
ARR : receiver for team A.
BRR : receiver for team B.
S1 : referee : black point.
S2 : detecting referee ( ball with stripes) : holding the two emitters EA and EB.
- S2 detects the moment that the ball has been played by team A and one radio signal Sa will be sent if he activates the emitter EA.
- S2 detects the moment that the ball has been played by team B and one radio signal Sb will be sent if he activates the emitter EB.
AR : the assistant referee for team A is holding a flag with a receiver ARR. BR : the assistant referee for team B is holding a flag with a receiver BRR.

The assistant referee determines AR the line of the second last defender but nobody is in the offside position, his receiver is in a non-active position on the time T0.
The player 9 of the team A is standing in the offside position on the time T1.
The assistant referee AR activates his receiver on the time T1.
The player 7 of the team A makes a feint on the time T2.
S2 sends accidentally one radio signal to the assistant referee AR ( stripe-point line Sa) AR receives a vibration but the ball does not arrive and he does not rise his flag.
The player 5 of the team B plays the ball back to his keeper.
S2 sends one radio signal Sb on the time T3. ( Stripe-point line Sb)
AR receives the radio signal sb on the time T3 at that moment the vibration stops T3 and the assistant referee knows that the ball has been played by a defender.

Under the figure of the flag of AR you see the picture showing the reactions of the receiver ARR by receiving the radio signals at the time T0, T1, T2,T3 and T4.
T0 : no signal : white space
T1 : receiver is activated : black points
T2 : receiver vibrates when he receives the radio signal Sa : waving lines
T3 : receivers stops to vibrate when he receives the radio signal Sb : black points
T4 : the ball arrives, no more a vibration, not an offside position.

The emitters EA and EB can also been activated by two supplement assistant referees, example here by AR' and BR'.

Claims

A system in order to determinate an offside in football or in an other sport, by activating an emitter at the moment that an attacker is playing the ball and whereby the emitter sends a radio signal to an activated receiver which is able to receive separately two different radio signals coming from two different emitters if an attacker and a defender are playing separately the ball in an offensive action.
Following conclusion 1, a receiver, one for each team, which is activated at the moment that a player is in the offside position.
Following conclusion 1, an emitter, one for each team, which is activated at the moment that a player of a team is playing the ball and whereby the emitter is sending a radio signal which is different than this from the other team.
Following conclusion 1,2 and 3 an activated receiver which receives a radio signal from an emitter and processes that radio signal to a vibration or to an interruption of a vibration or to an other specific signal.
Following conclusion 1,3 and 4 the quantity of radio signals sent by an emitter at the moment of playing the ball by a player is only one radio signal.