Question Number: 25856

Law 11 - Offside 12/27/2011

RE: competitive Under 9

chai of sanger, ca us asks...

This question is a follow up to question 24921

in regards to this question, law 11 says 2nd to last defender?. i had a similar situation (if not exact). so if my two attackers breakaway from all defenders and are in a 2 against 1 agaist the keeper. whos the 2nd to last defender?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The 2nd to last defender is the defender who is second closest to the goal line. If the attackers are closer to the goal line than the 2nd to last defender - and the ball, don't forget that part - then they are in an offside position.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Chai
The 2nd last defender is behind the two attackers who have broken away and the closest defender to the goal line. As Ref Voshol points out offside has two defining parts that is the 2nd last defender and the ball so a player is in an offside position if he is nearer to his opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent. The key word is BOTH
If the team mate of the attacker in possession of the ball stays behind or level with the ball he is not in an offside position and he may participate fully in play.
However should the player move him ahead of the ball then he is closer to the goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent and he will be called offside if he interferes with play by touching the ball or he interferes with an opponent in this case the goalkeeper.
The coaching point in these two on one situations is to stay behind the ball as that cannot be offside.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

On a breakaway, the position of the ball will be the key to offside position. One is never in an offside position if one is even with the ball (when the ball is last touched by a teammate).

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The attackers have already broken past the second to last defender. However, if all stay even with or behind the ball they are still not in offside position. The ball in this case is the offside line.