It’s a shame that post-game discussion of one of the great European Championship encounters of all time has been dominated by a goal that too many people wrongly thought was offside. But if you look through the English-language press for an analytical appreciation of the Netherlands’ 3-0 victory over Italy Monday, you’ll be disappointed to find that most reports focus on the linesman’s decision to keep his flag down as Ruud Van Nistelrooy gave the Dutch the lead from six yards out.
“The rule seems a bit unfair to me,” writes Gabriele Marcotti. “If a player is injured, surely he’s not in play (especially when he’s lying down motionless outside the field of play) – but that’s what the rules (or, rather, the directives) say. In normal circumstances, the referee would probably have stopped play to allow Panucci to get treatment, but this whole play unfolded so quickly it simply wasn’t an option.”
Marcotti, like most journalists, was unaware of the FIFA rule, and had to have it confirmed by “a call to a former international referee,” after which the writer conceded that referee Peter Frojfeldt “got it right.” Neither he nor any other commentators note that if the Italian defenders were closer students of the game’s rules, then they might not have been so quick to step forward with their arms in the air appealing for offside.