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Tyma's Answer:

Relevant rule:
Rule 4.10.1 (p.42):  "A team is considered offside when it has (a) more than six players in its offensive half of the field (between the centerline and the end line), including players in the penalty box, or (b) more than seven players in its defensive half of the field (between the centerline and the end line), including players in the penalty box."
So the questioner is correct:  a team cannot be offside for having "too few" players in a half of the field, only too many.  Thus, the call was incorrect.

However, it is possible for a team to gain advantage by having a player delay his entry onto the field during substitution, which coincidentally results in there being too few players in a half of the field.  Consider:
4.21 SITUATION:  "During a substitution, A1 delays his entrance onto the field.  The trailing official sees the delay.  RULING:  Silent play-on, with the official's arm in the air.  If Team A gains an advantage by delaying the substitution, technical foul on Team A."
In the case of delayed substitution, the issue is the delay in an attempt to gain advantage, not the fact that there happens to be a time when a team has fewer than the maximum number of players allowed in a half.

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