Off the ball

This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Off the ball" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Off the ball (or OTB) is a term used in football in the United Kingdom, usually associated with a player's action when not in possession of the ball, such as a fight or a late challenge.

If a referee does not see an OTB incident but another official, such as the assistant referee, does, the assistant may draw their attention, usually activating a buzzer that the referee has strapped to their upper arm or by waving their flag. The assistant will inform the referee as to what happened, and the referee will act according to the laws of the game. Depending on the severity of the incident, this may involve booking the involved player or sending them off.

• Tottenham 4-1 Bolton, BBC Sport, 25 February, 2007.
• Clockwatch: China 0-2 Costa Rica, BBC Sport, 4 June, 2002.

This association football article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e