Question Number: 21911

Law 11 - Offside 9/7/2009

RE: Competitive Adult

AR of n/a, New England United States asks...

This is an offside and goal kick question.

The scenario: Competitive adult league game on a short field. Team A has a goal kick. Team A's strikers get into offside position on Team B's half because Team B is playing an offside trap. Team A's goalie kicks the goal kick, the ball travels in the air to the other half of the field and one of Team A's strikers, who is in otherwise offside position receives the ball directly from the goal kick and then dribbles and shoots. The ball did not touch any other player other than the initial Team A striker who received the ball directly from the goal kick and took the shot.

As AR2, I did not call offside. Team B protested and erupted at my no call. My reasoning is that Law 11 states that 'there is no offside offense if a player received the ball directly from ... a goal kick.'

Did I make the correct no call?

Thank you.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Yes, you did, and congratulations!

Teams don't tend to read the Laws, and they tend to believe what they hear from other people who have never read the Laws.

And, unfortunately, they are often refereed by people who don't read the Laws either - or at least don't enforce or understand what they have read. So myths and misapplications get started and perpetuated - witness the tremendous number of 'handballs' that are called that are either not deliberate or totally accidental serendipitous (so not a foul!!).

You did a good and right thing. Keep up the excellent work.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Of course you did!! There can be no offside offense at a goal kick, throw-in, or corner kick regardless of position if the ball is received directly.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

I thought every player knew you couldn't be offside from a goal kick - it's concerning what we have to put up from players who don't know the most basic laws of the game they play....

You made the correct call for the correct reason - a simple statement of 'you can't be offside directly from a goal kick' should be sufficient...one would hope.............

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

See Question: 21961