Question Number: 28818

Law 11 - Offside 10/5/2014

RE: Parent lineman Under 12

David of trowbridge, wiltshire uk asks...

This question is a follow up to question 28798

Hi Richard and team.

Thank you for your replies, very illuminating and informative. I was just wondering about your question to me - how can both teams be offside at the same time? I can't figure it out.

Regards, David.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Well, certainly both teams can't be CALLED offside at the same time. *

But suppose this situation. Red and Blue both have players in an offside position. Red kicks the ball and it bounces off a Blue player. Now both offside players, from both teams, are ineligible to play the ball lest they be called offside. Red because the deflection off Blue doesn't change the offside restriction for Red, and Blue because a Blue player last touched the ball. Whichever offside positioned player (OPP) becomes involved will be offside.

I was an AR at a game once where my fellow AR called offside - and he was only about 15 yards laterally down the field from me. The 2nd last defenders from both sides had pushed up to within 10 yards of the half line.

* - Want to make it absurd? Suppose the Red OPP plays the ball at the exact time that the Blue OPP interferes with the goalkeeper? Both AR's flags would go up at the same time. (Absurd because it would be very unlikely that any interference with the keeper would be material, so that offense should be considered trifling and not called.)

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi David,
sorry to tax the old noddle mate I was having a bit of fun with interaction is all. I am glad you responded, you seem sharp, so once you grasp the how, it will also illuminate other black hole possibilities! lol

As Ref. Voshol points out the how is actually fairly straightforward. A deflection or a rebound does NOT reset the opponents' offside criteria but as it is a TOUCH of the ball it STARTS the offside criteria for that team. IF indeed there are offside players for that team on the other half of the PITCH!

Offside is simply a player who is in fact, off his side, because he can no longer participate in an active play for the ball or prevent an opponent from doing the same. An offside infringement requires involvement to be deemed an offence.

So if there are players from both teams who are OFF THEIR SIDE for a brief time could the unimaginable happen? Two opposing offside players both challenge for the same ball? lol
In theory yes but it requires a great deal of ineptitude from the other 20 players and some very extenuating circumstances lol

Blue #3 is tying his shoe over near the right side edge of the red penalty area with only the red keeper keeping him company. All other red players are either up at the midline or attacking just within the blue half. Most of the blue team are also moved up near the midline. Red #4 has the ball at midfield and tries to drive a through ball along the right side blue touchline to a red teammate #8 making an over lapping run close to midfield, just inside blues half of the field ,as another red team mate #2 who is offside in behind blue's 2nd last defender and realizes it tries running back towards his own half along that same touch line.
A blue defender #9 had moved over to cover the run of the onside #8 red player, completely unaware the ball catches his pumping knee and deflects back down along the touch line towards the area where blue #3 has finished tying his shoe (but was still offside at the time of the ball striking the knee of his team mate blue #9) and sees this rolling ball coming down the touchline so proceeds to run towards the ball. Our red offside #2 player continues his run, crosses the midline BACK inside his own half, now chasing that ball. Now if the other 20 players sit this one out, blue #3 and red #2 will be the only two players challenging for that ball. My question to you now is who gets the call or what call is there if it looks likely they will get there at the exact same time?
Cheers
PS you just got a look into the mindset of a tortured referee,! We make stuff like this up to entertain us when we are continually forced to make a decision in an instant, based on what we see and what we know and 50% watching never believe us anyway ! LOL

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi David
For those of us that have an interest in the Laws of the Game we can come up with unusual situations that satisfy the requirements in law. These unusual situations probably, only ever happen on paper as they do require a contrived situation. That's not to say that it can't happen, just that it is highly unlikely.
My colleagues have given two situations probably akin to winning the lottery two weeks in a row. It's not that it can't happen, just the odds are astronomical.

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