According to the Coventry Telegraph's Andy Turner, Coventry City manager Tony Mowbray has called for the offside law to be nailed down following Juan Mata's goal for Manchester United at Shrewsbury Town on Monday night.
Goal and highlights - https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=BC7sbysmAd4
United had a free kick and lined up three players behind Shrewsbury's wall but in front of the Shrewsbury keeper. When Mata took the kick, the trio ran away from the goal and the ball went into the net with the goal being allowed to stand.
Said Tony Mowbray: “It shows you how messed up the off-side rule is because if the referee doesn’t know the rules what chance have we all got?
“If they are standing in the goalie’s line of vision, they are surely offside.
“When are they interfering with play and when are they not? Who made that decision? Was it the linesman or the referee?
“The referee can see there are three men were behind the wall standing off-side and he didn’t think they were interfering with play.
“This week you’ll have a team standing two yards in front of the goalie in the six-yard box – how far have they got to be away from the goalie to affect him? And as long as they are running back to not be off-side and don’t touch the ball, is that OK?
“I just think there’s an opportunity to try to nail something down. The Football Association or Referees’ Association should clarify what is the rule.
“I’d be interested what Howard Webb thinks or the Professional Games Match Officials thinks. Is it OK to block the goalie’s view in an off-side position?
“Because if it is OK then I think everyone will push the boundaries and move a three-man wall to the edge of the six-yard box in front of the goalie. Someone needs to clarify it otherwise it’s just a grey area.”
More on this - http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/manchester-uniteds-controversial-free-kick-10946049