Question Number: 29438

Law 11 - Offside 5/22/2015

RE: Competitive Under 15

Norm of Wellington, New Zealand asks...

If a player is in an offside position, can he still be offside if he goes back into his own team's half of the field?

In a game I watched the other day, one team had all their players on attack, except for the keeper, and the defending team had one player in the opposition's half. The ball was played (directly) by the defending keeper to the player in the offside position, who went back into his own half to get it. The referee didn't do anything (though nothing came of the play anyway).

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Norm,
YES! that player was offside and is still offside even if he goes back into his own team's half of the field.

It is important to remember that once a player is adjudged offside and RESTRICTED from further involvement in active play there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING he can do on his own that will rescind or lift this restriction. Including returning to his own half.

The LOTG for example mention that it is not possible to be offside within your own half. Except that is not what it means exactly . What is true is you can not be found guilty of an offside position if you are within your half at the critical last touch moment when a team mate touches the ball but you are not saved by returning to your half if you were guilty of an offside position earlier.

Offside is often confusing because although the ...position... is set at that freeze frame moment when the ball is last touched by the team mate, the ball and all the players, those restricted and not restricted plus their opponents are continually on the move. Often an AR or referee, particularly newer or those refereeing as a single official will miss or not know who was when and where and not award the correct call of an INDFK for offside which is where the POSITION for offside was 1st established only within the oppositions' half of the field not the subsequent INVOLVMENT which can occur LATER and ANYWHERE on the field of play including ones own half of the field/

ONCE a player has been 100% identified as being in an offside position, he is restricted from active play, no matter what he does and where he goes, because NOTHING an offside restricted player 'ORP' can do on his own will change anything!

There are only 3 stages of play that could allow an offside restricted player (ORP) or PIOP (player in offside position) to rejoin active play.

One - a NEW teammate's touch of the ball
(1) Condition one requires the former offside restricted player to no longer be in an offside position when this new touch occurs. Offside reset occurs at ANY teammate touch of the ball deliberate or accidental creating a NEW phase of play with a new freeze frame snap shot of the new positioning of the players on the field

Two - opposing player deliberately plays the ball while not being challenged or interfered with by an offside player
(2) Condition two must simply occur, offside position is not part of the equation because condition one no longer applies. The former restricted offside player can legally contest ball possession if his opponents have deliberately touched/played the ball, this frees the previously restricted offside position attacker who is no longer, gaining an advantage, to rejoin active play no matter their position on the field

There are 3 exceptions pertaining to gaining an advantage
If the opponent/defender touch of the ball is deemed in the opinion of the officials to be a
(a) - rebound = a ball that bounces back after impacting a hard surface
(b) - deflection = a ball that alters it trajectory or being caused to change direction upon impact
(c) - deliberate save = a ball played with a conscious decision and realization of the consequences of action but is done preventing a goal
These conditions WILL NOT RESET nor change an attacking opponents' restricted offside status!

(2a) Deliberately playing the ball must be a controlled possession or a controlled pass

INCORRECT - It is ball played with a conscious decision and realization of the consequences of action

Deliberately playing the ball involves a conscious act of a player whereby his making contact with the ball with his feet, head, hands or body was the result of him initiating a sequence of events in a timely manner! There is no guarantee of control or possession in a deliberate action. It does involve a PHYSICAL touch of the ball

(2b) A miss kick or poor header is considered a deflection/rebound

INCORRECT A miss kick or poor header is more often a MISTAKE made when choosing to deliberately play the ball!

We do not award offside for a mistake, if it was a DELIBERATE PLAY!

HOWEVER, the position or movement of the feet or head, hands or body apparently trying to react does not necessarily mean the ball was deliberately played!

What criteria can we use to determine a deliberate play from an impact creating a deflection or a rebound?

�DISTANCE: How far away is the ball? ?
�FLIGHT PATH: Is the ball's speed, direction, or angle altered on its way towards the player?
�SPEED: How fast is that ball moving?
�SPACE: is there room to react?
�TIME: Is there time to prepare?
�IMPACT: Does the ball strike the player, without the player being aware or time to react?

An impact is NOT deliberately playing the ball, nor a mistake, it is either

�{a} rebound which is a ball that bounces back after impacting a hard surface or
�{b} deflection which is a ball that alters it trajectory or being caused to change direction upon impact.

Three - the ball goes out of play
(3) Condition three requires a restart of play!
Three restarts are free from any offside criteria by either team (Throw-in, Corner kick, Goal kick) where position is NOT a factor at the moment of the kick
A NEW positional offside evaluation will occur ONLY from the team taking the kick be it indk or direct as there is a new touch of ball by the attacking team/or team mates. The opponents are exempt because condition two now applies!

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Norm,

All that matters is the position at the time the ball was last touched or played by a teammate. He can't 'put himself onside'.

So, in your description, the player is in an offside position at the moment it's played. It doesn't matter where he receives it; he's still offside. I've awarded free kicks in similar situations many times - invariably somebody complains about being offside in his own half!

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Norm
A player cannot put himself back on side. He has to wait until the ball goes out of play or the opponents have played / gained control of the ball or an onside team mate has begun a new phase of play.
In your scenario offside is determined at the moment the ball is played / touched by a team mate in thios case the goalkeeper. If a player in an offside position then touches the ball in an onside position offside will be called and the IDFK will be taken from the original offside position. So if a player in an offside position goes back into his own half to play the ball the IDFK will be taken from the other half where he was positioned when the ball was played by his team mate.

I suspect what has happened is that if the referee was on his own he did not see the offside position from the punt and then when the ball is played by the PIOP it will look onside, which is patently incorrect.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

All that matters is where the attacker is when the ball TOUCHES the last teammate. If that attacker is closer to the goal line than both the ball and second to last defender and is on his attacking half of the field, then he is in an offside position. He will be guilty of the infraction if he gets involved in play before another teammate touches the ball (new decision to be made) or a defender attempts to play the ball (offside is then reset). I suggest reading the articles on our web site on offside. Some excellent and clear information written by our hall of fame referee Chuck Fleischer.