Thread by @DaleJohnsonESPN

Interesting application of offside in the #UEFANationsFinal for Kylian Mbappe's winner.

It's a decision which is correct in law to allow the goal, but one which many will feel should be disallowed in the spirit of the game.

Mbappe is clearly offside when the pass is played.

Remember that being in an offside position is not an offside offence.

The point when the ball is touched by the passer purely sets each player's position relative to each other for offside.

It's what happens after this which decides if there is any offence.

This is the clause which is key to the onside decision in the Kylian Mbappe goal.

"A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent who deliberately plays the ball, including by deliberate handball, is not considered to have gained an advantage."

At this point, Eric Garcia makes a deliberate play for the ball, and because he touches it that is considered to reset the offside phase and play Kylian Mbappe onside.

Quirk: if Garcia missed the ball completely at this point, Mbappe would be offside and the goal disallowed.

An important factor in the decision is the distance between Mbappe and Garcia.

The consideration here is Mbappe cannot be "challenging an opponent," which would have been an offside offence.

Obviously, a goal like this raises many questions.

Garcia wouldn't attempt to make this interception if Mbappe wasn't behind him in an offside position.

So in effect Garcia is penalised for trying to make that interception, and Mbappe actually profits from being in the offside position due to the failed interception.

There was a very similar incident in Liverpool v Tottenham in February 2018, when Harry Kane won a late penalty despite being in an offside position.

Just like with Garcia, Dejan Lovren had just brushed the ball as it went through and that played Kane onside.

Referees were actually split on the interpretation of the offside in that game, which didn't have VAR at the time.

I doubt all referees will agree with each other on the application of the offside law on Kylian Mbappe's winner either.

I'd just add that this isn't new in the laws. It's been the offside law for many, many years.

However, in the vast majority of cases referees and assistants still tend to err on the side of caution and give offside.

Fair to say it's very rare to get a situation like this.

Last season, Erling Haaland scored a 95th minute vs. Paderborn in the DFB Pokal.

Haaland was offside when Thomas Delaney played the ball.

But Paderborn defender Svante Ingelsson got the faintest of faint touches and that played Haaland on.

2mins 20:

Here's another, very similar example from LaLiga in July 2020.

Real Sociedad v Granada.

- Roberto Soldado clearly offside from the pass
- Diego Llorente makes a deliberate play, stretching for the interception
- It resets the offside phase, Soldado goal counts.

Belgium vs. Russia, Euro 2020

- Romelu Lukaku clearly offside from the pass
- Andrei Semenov makes a deliberate play, the ball coming off his body
- It resets the offside phase, Lukaku goal counts.