Question Number: 23748

Law 15 - Throw In 8/7/2010

gary of elizabethtown, kentucky USA asks...

When does a throw in cease to be a throw in?
ex. P1(red tm) throws in to team mate P3 who is standing behind P2(blue tm)near goal(In a offside position)...the ball strikes/touches P2 and rebounds to P3...Is P3 now considered offside because P2 made contact with ball?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Gary
A player cannot be offside directly from a throw in or from a touch/play by an opponent at a throw in. So it is the first touch by a team mate of the thrower at a throw in that starts a new phase of play from which offside consideration begins.
In the example you cite P3 cannot be offside from P1's throw in and the touch of the ball by P2 makes no difference as it is an opponent. The moment P3 touches the ball that then begins the next phase of play.
If P2 was a team mate of P3 then that would be offside as the ball has been played/touched by a team mate to a player in an offside position.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

The moment one of his teammates touches the ball, offside becomes a consideration (even if the touch was unintentional). At that point you consider the position of the other players and determine if any of them can be offside from that touch.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

You have two choices regarding opponent P2's touch:
-- it was a deflection, in which case offside considerations do not change, and it is the same as if P2 never touched the ball
-- it was a deliberate play on the ball, in which case offside no longer applies for Red

Either way, it's not offside.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Red team throws the ball into the field. It glances or deflects off of the blue defender and goes to red team member who was in an OSP when the ball was thrown. Since a player cannot be offside if they receive a ball directly from a throw-in, the deflection off the defender does NOT reset anything - it is as if he is not there. Hope that helps.