Unobserved offsides

[3rdPersonPlural]

Red scores a goal on a settled situation and as the cheering dies down I hear Blue coach and attack shouting 'Hey ref, they're offsides!"

Lo and behold, There's one red jersey missing back there.

I consulted with my partner, a college certified ref, and we concluded that the infraction was missed, we had no proof that the offsides was extant at the time of the goal, so the goal counted. I was benchside (and trail) so I had the unsavory task of explaining to the blue coach that we missed it, so it didn't 'happen'. Contrary to subsequent evidence, of course.

All part of the game, right?

I hate screw ups as much as the next guy, so I resolved to inquire about a mechanic that prevents this in the future.

In transition, as trail I pause at midfield to count heads. However, once I cross midfield I have no occasion to look square behind me. Lead just has to look over their left shoulder from time to time and count heads. On the other hand, offsides is hardly ever an issue except in transition. This might not be the highest and best use of a lead's attention.

I have to assume that the missing defender was up playing offense, and I confess that counting the players is something I do only after substitutions at dead balls, so I wasn't counting players. Perhaps I should have, but those little buggers run around so much that I have to count twice to be sure I'm correct.

Does anybody have any bright ideas about how to keep this particular brand of egg of of his face?

[roycegracie47]

But was there one extra red jersey where it shouldn't have been? It was possible a sub at attack for Red occured leaving only 2 on the field that the blue coach didn't see the sub instead concentrating on play in his defensive area. Obviously you stated you saw nutzing! and as long as you count the correct number in play in front of you (assuming the phantom offender isn't right behind you...) I don't see how you could have overturned the call. Best bet is just make sure your counting is up to snuff and try not to suffer from double vision...

[3rdPersonPlural]

But was there one extra red jersey where it shouldn't have been?

Prolly. By the time I had hopefully scanned the entire defensive half the FOGO's were headed in and it was too late to count red players.

......as long as you count the correct number in play in front of you (assuming the phantom offender isn't right behind you...) I don't see how you could have overturned the call. Best bet is just make sure your counting is up to snuff and try not to suffer from double vision...

Yeah. I guess that my lesson here is to count players at every opportunity, which is whenever I'm watching 'off the ball'.

[LaxRef]

"Coach, in a two-man game, we're likely to miss some offsides and sub infractions; we apologize, but it's just a fact of life. I'm sure you'd rather have us watching for the slash or the late hit. However, this is one of those rare times where you are welcome to comment loudly to let us know we have missed something; let us know if they are offsides and we haven't noticed."

[laxfan25]

About the only thing you could do, if it was caught in time, would be to yell out "Freeze", which is an option in our holster, and then do a headcount of Red in the offensive half. If you had one too many, you would have been justified in removing the goal. I wouldn't make that call based just on the count in the defensive half necessarily, since they could have been subbing behind you.
Ah, another opportunity to make omelets! (Hate when that happens).