Question Number: 20993

Law 11 - Offside 3/17/2009

RE: various Adult

Glen of Brookline, MA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 20915

From the Arsenal-Hull FA Cup match today:

Arsenal's 2nd goal is disputed by Hull. A distant free kick is played into the box. An Arsenal player and the keeper both come for it. The Arsenal player flicks it on with his head as the keeper tries to punch it. It goes toward goal and falls to an Arsenal player, who was onside when the free kick was lofted but was clearly offside when his teammate headed it, and he heads into the goal from extremely close range. The officiating team allowed the goal.

Hull claims that the goal scorer was offside when the flick-on header was played forward to him.

Arsenal claims the keeper did punch the ball -- that the flick-on header last touched the keeper's fist before travelling to the goal scorer.

Reading other offside questions on this site leads me to believe that the goal scorer is still offside EVEN IF THE KEEPER'S FIST MADE CONTACT AFTER THE ARSENAL PLAYER HEADED IT, because he did not control the ball. In other words, it is the same as a deflection of a defender.

On soccer.org, a similar situation was summed up as:

'If, in the opinion of the referee, the ball is deflected to the attacker in the offside position by an action of the goalkeeper that does NOT control the ball, then offside should be called. If, however, the referee's opinion is that the goalkeeper's action controlled the ball and the ball goes to the attacker in the offside position, then offside should not be called.'

Questions:

1. Is a punch a controlling action?

2. Does it depend on how cleanly it is fisted or where the punch lands, as 'evidence' of the 'control'?

3. Is it possible that a flick-on header, especially in a collision with a keeper, could be insignificant enough to reset the onside nature of the player from the original free kick? In other words, are we still in the free-kick 'play'?

The video of this goal is at:
http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/2230012/

Thanks!

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

A PUNCH is classified as a parry, in my opinon, ONLY if I felt it was as reasonable for the keeper to just catch the ball! Perhaps the officials thought the ball was NOT retouched off the head of the arsenal attacker but only tipped off the keeper's hand?
I tend to agree with you that this goal was offside and while the goal will likely still be counted a word from Kieth Hackett the EPL referee chief would be interesting to hear. Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

I watched this game today. I didn't even think about this being offside.

From the video it appears that the player who scores the goal was in an offside position. When I recall watching the clip live, I thought to myself that the keeper had actually punched the players head and not made contact with the ball.

In either case of a deflection or a ball not touched, unless there are players that I cannot see on the clip, it appears that this goal should have been disallowed.

However, I doubt very highly that Hull will win their appeal. Video review is not considered for incidents seen by the referees in England. Plus Hull's tactics of kick, defend, and kick some more, after taking the one goal lead, were boring and perhaps this is why luck was not on their side.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

It's amazingly easy for us to watch a video over and over and in slow motion and make the correct call which would appear to be offside. Totally different matter when on the field.

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

See Question: 21299