Nottingham Forest Defender Ola Aina has questioned the offside law that contributed to the injury of Taiwo Awoniyi during the draw with Leicester.
The forestoploper collided with a pole and suffered a torn intestine on the city ground while trying to lock an Anthony Elanga pass.
The striker, who received long treatment after the injury, but then tried to play even though he was in clear discomfort, required an urgent abdominal surgery on Tuesday.
The incident, in which Leicester -midfielder Facundo Buonanotte also collided with the upright, happened after Elanga was allowed to continue on goal, despite the fact that it was clearly offside.
Play continued after assistant Sian Massey-elis delayed and raised her flag.
Aina has since questioned the offside law, who instructs civil servants to postpone the flag unless they are 100 percent sure that a player is offside.
“Anthony [Elanga] Was Miles offside. The whole world could see and I could also do that from where I was: “Aina told the Daily Mail.
“Do you immediately think 'offside'. You could certainly lift the flag?
“To look and then just see it happen. This would not have happened with t [Awoniyi] If the flag had just risen. “
The offside controversy around Awoniyi
The Awoniyi incident has innovated the debate about the offside rules of football.
Assistant referee Massey-Ellis held her flag in accordance with an IFAB guideline that states that postponing the flag is only permitted in a very clear attacking situation when a player is about to score a goal or a clear approach to/towards the opponent's penalty area.
The PGMOL – which is responsible for the Referee Laws of the Premier League and the directive of IFAB uses when it comes to the VAR protocol – is of the opinion that the assistant can increase the flag if they are 100 percent believing that a player is offside. But if there is an element of doubt, they will keep the flag low.
Dermot Gallagher analyzed the incident on Sky Sports' Ref -watch and said: “You see her [Massey-Ellis] explain to the [Leicester] Goalkeeper, because even he asks why she is not marked.
“You can clearly see that she says, he is not far enough offside, I have to hold my flag. It's not the law – it's a guideline.
“The law is offside, but the guideline for the assistants is because we have VAR, don't put your flags on early, if he places it in the net, you can go back and check.”
One of the benefits of that policy is to stop valid goals that are wrongly excluded by an early flag and help alleviate human mistakes. It has been in the Premier League since 2021 and although incidents such as Awoniyi's are rare, the injury of the forest attack caused a conversation about this statement.
There have been calls around the Premier League for postponing the flag in obvious offside conditions to be deleted.
Stephen Warnock said on ref Watch: “It must certainly be common sense, common sense must kick in acceleration at a certain moment.
“Common Sense tells you: three or four meters, get your flag up and stop these things. I didn't try at Sian Massey-elis, I'm talking about the regulators in general.
“If it's two or three meters [offside] And something in your head thinks: is it offside or not? I'm not sure here. Then keep your flag low, I understand that.
“But that? Just put on your flag.”
In December 2023, the city substitute John Stones became an injury during a playing phase that later became 'excluded' for offside, which led to an angry reaction from Pep Guardiola.
He said: “I don't understand. It is so clear, the offside, and now he is injured. They say:” You are right, Pep, you are right “… but it's late. [the officials]The rules come from the big bosses … but I don't understand. “
And during the opening weekend of this season, when Chelsea striker went through Nicolas Jackson on goal, while he was clearly offside, Guardiola was confronted with the fourth civil servant. Gary Neville spoke about co-commentary the process of sidelined him, lasted “14 days”.
Again, speaking at Ref Watch this week, Warnock added: “We look at [the Awoniyi incident] And go: is that what we have waited for? To make something happen to change the rules?
“Because we have all been saying it for years where a collision could be and the assistant referee says,” That was offside, “we all knew it was, why didn't you make that decision?”