Question Number: 29693

Law 11 - Offside 9/13/2015

RE: Select Under 13

Jeff of Niantic , Ct Usa asks...

In a throw in a player can not be offside.

What if a defensive player touches the ball on the way to my attacker who is on due to a throw in?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Jeff,

When the laws state 'cannot be offside', it means that the touch that puts the ball into play cannot be considered for offside. Essentially, for offside, forget that the thrower ever touched the ball. It just suddenly appeared in the field somehow.

So really, the first touch here is the defender's touch. If it then goes to an opponent in an offside position, then because there hasn't been a prior attacking touch (offside always requires a touch by a teammate, even if there's a defensive deflection in between), it can't be offside.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Jeff,
the three exceptions for offside, throw in , corner and goal kick all permit either team to accept the ball with no worries. If one team touches the ball the other team status remains UNCHANGED ! Only his teammates are looked at for offside position. The opposition are free to participate and chase down any pass or deflection with impunity for offside UNTIL one teammate touches the ball. Only THEN the offside positional criteria are examined for the rest of his team. If you are taking the throw in and a defending opponent tries to intercept or miss kicks it to what looks like an offside attacker you just thank him very much for the gift as you deposited said ball in the back of the goal.



I had a long ball hitting keeper who could pound the ball deep into the opposing half. We sent runners along the touchline or even straight down the centre to chase these kicks down. Well he skied a ball very high wind caught it held it up a bit at about ten yards inside the opposition half. We had 2 attackers in behind the 2nd last opponent who nicely chested and settled the ball only to have our striker pick pocket him from behind, dribble it in on goal drop a neat pass to our other striker for a easy goal. The opposition screamed for offside and the CR was buying into it, trying to take the goal away when thankfully the AR who never flagged reminded the CR it was a GOAL kick there was no offside criteria as no teammate had yet played the ball.

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jeff
As you say a player cannot be offside from a throw in. So offside is considered at the moment the ball is touched or is played by one of the attacking team when offside applies.
In your example the touch by the defender changes nothing as the LAST touch /play by the attacking team was the throw in from which offside does not apply. If after the throw in by Attacker A the touch on by Attacker B was to Attacker C in an offside position then offside would be called.