Question Number: 26445

Law 11 - Offside 6/12/2012

RE: AYSO rec Under 15

Terry of QUARTZ hILL, CA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 12648

Ref : Chuck Fleischer, Offside Explained 12/28/2005, states towards end of his explaination that a player in an offside may not play a ball that is deflected or misplayed by an opponent.
In a EURO 2012 match yesterday an attacker was in offside in front of opponent's goal when a penultimate defender in front of him raises his leg to play the ball that hits his shin and drops towards offside opponent who scores. Should not the goal be disallowed because it was misplayed by the defender? The soccer TV commentator said that the defender had 'shanked' the ball indicating to me that the defender misplayed the ball as the defender was not able to cleanly clear the ball hence goal should have been disallowed per Chuck explaination.
In other matches I have seen where a defender passes a ball back towards his GK and an offside attacker sprints and scores before the GK gets the ball. Should not the goal be disallowed because the defender 'misplayed' the ball towards his GK?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi terry
This question has been asked a number of times.
The question the AR had to ask was whether the play by the Irish defender was deemed to be a rebound.
Law 11 states that "gaining an advantage by being in that position means playing a ball that rebounds to him off a goalpost or the crossbar having been in an offside position or playing a ball that rebounds to him off an opponent having been in an offside position".
In the Pro game with high skills levels a misplay of this nature would not be considered a rebound and so offside would be reset.
Perhaps at an Underage game or lower skilled games the AR would be of the opinion that the misplay was in fact a rebound in which case offside would be called.
In the situation where a defender has clear control of the ball and he misplays / miskicks the ball to a player in an offside position that is definitely not offside and that should not be called.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

That decision caused some debate.

Chuck's explanation remains valid. What is really at issue is the judgment of the referee when a ball is 'deflected' (offside) vs when it is 'played' (not offside) by an opponent.

At youth levels, the expected decision in these situations will be 'deflected.' The referee should look for signs of clear possession and control by the defense.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

My colleagues, including our revered Chuck, are spot on. I would add only that if the defender passes the ball to his own keeper, and an attacker beats the keep to the ball, that is not offside. The position of the attacker is irrelevant, because the ball was last controlled and played by a defending player.