Question Number: 29873

Law 11 - Offside 10/31/2015

RE: rec Adult

steve h of irvine, ca usa asks...

During our game, all of our players except our goalie were in opponent side of the field and the ball was kicked from opponent side of the field to one of our opponent in our side of the field.
So, in short, when the ball was kicked from one side of the field to the other, there were only two players on that side of the field: the opposing team's goalie and one of our player who received the ball.
Is this an offside?
There were guys who said they saw this on TV where ref did not call offside and the player scored. They were so sure that they even mentioned that players name.
I could not find anything in FIFA Laws of the game....
Thanks in advance!

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Steve,
sorry I am having difficulty deciding who is where and when from your description?
You say all ten of YOUR team were PAST the midline inside the opposition half. Only your keeper was inside your PA so in essence he was the last defender and there was no 2nd last defender to be considered as he was part of the ten inside the opposition's half.
You say! The ball was then kicked from somewhere inside the oppositions half into YOUR half.
QUESTION Who actually kicked /last touched/played the ball?
You say! That ball was received by an opponent who was one on one with YOUR keeper.
QUESTION Where was the opponent when the ball was LAST touched by his team mate?
CONFUSING HERE because now you say So, in short, when the ball was kicked from one side of the field to the other, there were only two players on that side of the field: the opposing team's goalie and one of OUR player who received the ball????

Perhaps just a slip of who is where but if we take either side out of the equation and address just the positioning aspects.

You CAN NOT be declared offside if you are POSITIONED inside your own half WHEN the ball is last touched by a teammate. You can then RUN into the opposition's half and play a long ball without penalty but you cannot be in inside the oppositions half behind the 2nd last defender, or ahead of the ball if there was no 2nd last defender when the ball is last touched by the team mate. NOR can you be offside positioned and run back into your own half to play a ball. Once declared as a ORP(offside restricted player) nothing that player can do on his own can reset him back to playable status
When you said the ball was kicked. The important part kicked BY who and was the ball deflected or deliberately played after that point by anyone from the other team?

Based on POSITION-
opposing keeper as the ONLY player on his team, with one attacker alone inside that opposing keeper's half and the attacker is there WHEN his team mate kicks that ball from the other side of half! That attacker is a PIOP (Player in an offside position) and he is restricted from further involvement in play!
-IF the ball was last kicked/touched and deliberately played from an opposing defender. THEN that single attacker is FREE to continue play!
-IF the attacker was on his side of the field and ran past the midline AFTER the ball was kicked by his team mate thus travelling as the ball travelled THEN that single attacker is again FREE to continue play.
Out of curiosity what player what game was this event related too? I also suggest you read our offside explanation on our front page it might help point out the reason why some offside calls are confusing at times.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Steve.

Just making sure I'm reading this right. Say for instance, you're running left to right.
All of your players except the goalkeeper were in the right hand side of the field. The other team had an attacker in the left side of the field.

If so, and if the ball is played to him by a teammate, then this is a clear offside infringement.
A player is in an offside position if he is nearer to the opponent's goal line than both the ball and the second last line of defence.

So, basically - if he is 'to the left' (your team is running left to right, don't forget) or your 2nd last defender (usually the sweeper) and ahead of the ball, and in the opposing half (left hand side of the field), then he's in an offside position.

What's important though is where he is at the moment the ball is kicked. If he is in his own half when the ball is touched, then it doesn't matter if he runs into the left half, no offence has been committed.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Steve
This is certainly offside. The lone attacker in the opponents half with only the goalkeeper between him and the goal line is in an offside position and he cannot get involved in active play. The only way that player can remain onside with only one opponent in their half is to stay in his own half. The only other alternative is to wait for a team mate to carry the ball forward and to stay BEHIND the ball as that is not an offside position either
Now the scenarios as alluded to on the TV it is likely that the players were in their own half at the time the ball was played. That cannot be offside even if they receive the ball in the opponents half
In this video Blue is in his own half so he is not in an offside position
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U01-uArNpdw&t=1m56s
Even if the ball was kicked forward into the Red half and Blue ran on to the ball from his own half that would not be offside.
Now if the furthest forward Blue player was in the Red half with only the goalkeeper between him and the goal line that is in an offside position and is then excluded from getting involved in active play
Here is an example and I believe the AR flagged erroneously as the Yellow player was in his own half WHEN the ball was played by his team mate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqfR8wvnMh8
If Yellow was clearly in the Red half at the time of the kick then he only had the goalkeeper between himself and the goal line which is an offside position so offside would be called when the Yellow player touches the ball.
Now have a look at this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK9OvAlAUVE
Lets say that the Orange line drawn for offside calculation purposes is the half way line and the Orange shaded area is the opponents half for demonstration purpose. #11 has only one opponent between himself and the goal line (the player stood on the line) which places him in an offside position. If #11 was to the left of the line in his own half he is in an onside position