Question Number: 20395

Law 11 - Offside 10/28/2008

RE: AYSO Under 15

Kirk of Los Angeles , CA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 20317

I understand the positions expressed in the answers to Q20317, and they are consistent with my own judgments, but I am still troubled with the notion that the attention of the keeper and other defenders may be drawn by a player in an offside position. Bad defense perhaps, but the kind of defensive play that one sees all the time (particularly from kids who are raised on basketball). What troubles me is that in many cases the attacking players who are in an offide position may only be in an offside position by the slightest of margins and both the keeper and the other defenders have every reason to suspect that the attackers are onside becuase no flag has gone up. My own judgment tells me that if the offside players are far enough away from the play, then they won't attract any attention and aren't involved in active play, but if they are at a logical passing distance and position and have all the physical appearances of inviting a pass, then they may be involved in active play and an offside might be warranted. I think there is a difference between a defender who choses to be drawn toward an offide player who is so patently offside that everybody knows it, versus being drawn toward a player who is so close to being onside that the defender may be justified in deciding to mark that defender, particularly on a break away.

With respect to the facts in Q20317, I suspect that the two offside players (likely just 5-10 feet away from the attacker with the ball) were probably keeping their speed, waving their hands and arms, and probably doing some physical act (if not a verbal utterance) that the keeper fairly interpreted as 'pass to me' or 'I'm open.' This is very different from a player in an offside position who chooses to remain still or quietly backs away from the play. I can't resist thinking that the flag should have gone up. Comments?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

You need to rethink your interpretations of offside. Whether an attacking player is a foot or 10 yards offside makes no difference. It is NOT an offense to be in offside position. There;s a reason that's the first line in Law 11. It reminds us that a player in offside position must actually do something or there is no offense. That's the Law. A defender is free to mark whomever he desires but it nonetheless remains true that a player in offside position must not be flagged unless he actually does something. It's possible a player in offside position may interfere with an opponent by merely standing there if, for example, he's blocking the line of sight of the keeper. But the important point is, he's still doing something. He's blocking the line of sight of the keeper, thus he should be penalized for offside.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Offside is rest EVERY TIME the ball carrier retouches the ball so on this dribble down field we are reevaluating the position and whether there IS involvement at each touch of the ball up to the next touch of the ball. It the two attacking players preceding the ball are creating confusion because their actions PREVENT the ball from being played as in the defender moves to intercept the ball or take on and challenge the ball carrier but the offside attacker steps into path that defender wanted to take, causing the defender to stop or readjust to that INTERFERENCE.
OFFSIDE!
If the defender simply decides to chase an attacker that is a defender's decision! As long as the offside attacker is not preventing the defender from being able to challenge for the ball the attacker has done nothing but run into an offside position which law 11 states is not an offence in of its self! If he runs into an offside position saying pass it, pass it, I would hope as a defender they do so.

Do not confuse actions of defenders with actions of attackers! Yes defenders will react to the presence of nearby opponents be they needed or not and their actions at times will confirm what we MUST already know that the action of the attacker FORCED the action of the defending opponent because he could not get to the ball or the attacker has committed to the ball himself, not provided an option of how one should defend against an attack!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

It is hard not to want to compensate for the reactions of defenders to attackers in an offside position. But we can't, and still follow the Law.

The OSP player must do something to interfere with play. Remember that offside requires position + involvement to be offside. Involvement is strictly judged as interfering with play, with an opponent or gaining an advantage from their position. These are further explained in the USSF publication The Advice to Referees, available online at the www.ussoccer.com website.

Running into a position to play a pass is not interfering, unless they impede a defender or block the line of sight of the keeper. Standing in an offside position, no matter how close they are to a defender or a play is not involvement unless they become involved in one of the above described ways.

OS at the youth levels is often misunderstood because referees wrongly compensate for defenders who goof up. Help us spread education!

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 20409