Question Number: 29570

Law 11 - Offside 7/30/2015

RE: Intermediate Under 13

Phil of Tarzana, CA United States asks...

This question is a follow up to question 29567

I was wondering why no one mentioned the possibility of a deliberate save. It seems to me that the wall is set up just for that purpose. The jump is a deliberate action & it's whole purpose is to block a clear straight shot to the goal. The speed of the ball at 10 yards away doesn't give much time to react. Wouldn't that be the very definition of a deliberate save?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Phil,
No, the jump is premeditated as a deliberate act to play the ball plus I hold the opinion that because the KEEPER is on his goal line in BEHIND the wall he is the most likely to be responsible for a deliberate save as opposed to any defender. I tend to consider a deliberate save as more or less one player only on the ball type scenario i.e. clearance off the goal line with no keeper. It is true though that the powers that be do not really give a CLEAR picture. I inquired and was told,'We would know it if we saw it assuming we understood the game.' Yes, I am doing a slow roll of the eyes as I repeat it SIGH!
Whether it would be judged as offside is ITOOTR and their understanding of the situation. I suspect a ball that made it through off the wall might be classified as a DEFLECTION more so than a deliberate save but still maintain the deliberate part could render it as a reset for no offside call at all. I also agree with my colleague Ref McHugh as a tactic putting players in offside positions on free kicks is a waste of manpower.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Phil
Law 11 is a simple law yet its application is fraught with difficulties due to many permutations and scenarios. That coupled with the paucity of advice in the Laws of the Game on what is meant by a deflection, rebound, save etc we are left very much in the opinion of the referee.
Many referees will look for the reason to call offside in this scenario as it will look blatantly offside. The most likely reason will be a deflection and I believe that if it is called there will be little complaint.
I also think that it is not a smart play by the attacking team as it takes a player out of the game dependant on a reset that might not happen.