Question Number: 24925

Law 18 - Common Sense 5/11/2011

RE: Competive Adult

JP of Houston, Texas US asks...

This question is a follow up to question 12

If an offensive player to avoid offside temporarily goes off the field over the goal line for a time period then as the play continues he/she enters the field right before a goal is being scored.

Is this just a USB caution for entering the field without permission with the goal standing?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

If you're going to caution the player for USB, then you're acknowledging that a player of the team has committed an offence before the goal has scored.

Law 10, The Method of Scoring, states:

'Goal scored

A goal is scored when the whole of the ball passes over the goal line, between the goalposts and under the crossbar, provided that no infringement of the Laws of the Game has been committed previously by the team scoring the goal.'

Therefore, if you caution the attacking player then you cannot allow the goal.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi JP
It is not an offence in itself for a player who is in an offside position to step off the field of play to show the referee that he is not involved in active play. It is not required under Law 11 and there are other ways of showing that the player in an offside position is not interfering.
However, if the referee considers that he has left the field of play for tactical reasons and has gained an unfair advantage by re-entering the field of play, the player must be cautioned for unsporting behaviour. The player needs to ask for the referee's permission to re-enter the field of play.
If the referee decides to caution the player for unsporting behaviour because he gained an unfair advantage then the goal must be disallowed. The restart is an IDFK from where the offence took place and generally if the player got involved in play the restart would be from where that happened.
When considering this the referee should take into account factors such as
1. Was it a step off the FOP for seconds and back on again or was it lengthy time.
2. What was happening in play when the player rejoined play and did the action look like a deliberate ploy
3. Did the defending team assume that the player was now off the FOP and did not factor in the player from a defensive point of view.
4. The location that the player stepped off.