Question Number: 18441

Law 11 - Offside 2/28/2008

RE: High School

Eric of Utah, Utah USA asks...

NFHS (USA High School Rules)

Hello! Offsides question:

If attacking Player 'A', in an onsides position at instant the ball is last touched by a teammate, runs into an "offside position" where he/she is nearer the opponent's goal line than BOTH the ball & second-to-last defender, and then turns around and touches the ball while STILL nearer the opponent's goal line than BOTH the ball & the second-to last defender:

should that player be whistled for committing an offside infraction?

Many thanks,
Eric

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Eric, you answer your own question. The ONLY time to judge offside is when? Right, at the moment the ball is played or touched by a teammate. You state that player A was onside when the was last touched by a teammate. There can be no offside no matter where player A collects the ball unless the ball has been touched again by a teammate thus resetting offside which didn't happen here. Flag stays down

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Eric, you need to stop asking questions after the ball is touched by a team mate because that is the instant in time every referee makes the participate/cannot participate decision. Everything beyond the last touch is just so much confusion and extra unneeded thought.

No player is offside, the ball is touched by a team mate, there can be no offside offence, even in US High School.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

No Eric,
the POSITIONAL aspect of offside (no s needed) is ONLY looked at WHEN the team mate touches the ball. EACH touch of the ball resets offside for the teammates of the player who does the touching. If the POSITION is a GO then UNTIL a new touch of the ball occurs the players can run amuck and exchange places run into and over and in behind and in front of each other all over the field. Your player was ok to participate because he was NEVER restricted to begin with.
The first line of LAW 11 it is not an offence to be in an offside position speaks directly to this understanding of when a player is restricted from involvement and when he is not!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Debbie Hoelscher

Eric,
Just as there can only be one SIDE to be off (thus, OFFSIDE - no 's'), there can only be one SIDE to be on (ONSIDE - no "s") The term offside (and onside) is a abbreviated way of saying that a player is 'OFF THEIR SIDE (team)." Side was originally defined as the team.... aka: "who's SIDE/team are you on?"

When you are making a decision for an offside infringement, you must ask yourself: WHERE was this player when his team last touched or played the ball -- if the player was in an onside position then there is no need to answer the next question. If the player was in an offside position then you must ALSO ask WHAT did he do with his position as a result??? In your question, you state that the player was in the onside position at the moment his teammate last touched or played the ball. Unless another teammate touches or plays the ball again, his position at that initial touch is the only thing you need to take into consideration.