Question Number: 29550

Law 11 - Offside 7/23/2015

RE: Intermediate Under 13

Phil of Tarzana, CA United States asks...

This question is a follow up to question 29545

I have a question about something Referee Joe McHugh said. He said it wouldn't matter whether the defender's play was deliberate or not. It would seem to me that if the first defender's play was either a deliberate save or a deflection, then a deflection off the 2nd defender wouldn't reset offside. So the attacker would be offside no matter whether it next deflected from a teammate or a defender. On the other hand, if the first defender's attempt to clear the ball was deliberate (& not a save), then there's a reset & it matters who it deflected off next.

So it might matter whether the first defender's play was deliberate, wouldn't it?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Phil
Interesting point. The touch by the 2nd defender would not be a save IMO and then we have to assume that this touch was in fact a play even if it was not deliberate. That was the context in which the answer was given not that it went to the PIOP from the first defender which could be a save.
In reality if a defender sticks out a leg to make a save which he manages to do so, the ball then hits off a team mate which then goes to a PIOP will be very difficult to sell that there was no reset and offside should be called.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Phi,
ah yes the idea that a double deflection or series of deflections or a deflection after a deliberate save is still enforcing the oppositions offside restriction it has merit, it is in theory plausible. I had a keeper tip a ball wide that hit his defender in the back another defender took a desperate swipe and bounced off his knee towards their goal line being followed by an offside attacker who failed to touch it before it crossed the goal line so I awarded a corner kick but I did think about if I would have allowed play to continue if he had touched it.
Cheers