Question Number: 30041

Law 11 - Offside 1/23/2016

RE: Rec Under 15

Cliff McFadden of Bracknell, Berks asks...

If a free kick is taken from outside the penalty area and the keeper makes a save catching the ball but then drops it over the line should a goal be awarded even if a player was stood in an offside position when the ball was originally struck.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Cliff
The answer depends on whether the player in an offside position interfered with an opponent. Being in an offside position is not an offence. The player has to do something more such as touch / play the ball or interfere with an opponent such as interfering with line of sight to the ball or challenging an opponent.
So in your example if the keeper had no interference from the player in an offside position, clearly saw the ball then it is just a goalkeeping error.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Cliff,
offside is a participatory event where the PIOP must have a direct effect on play. In your case since there was NO direct physical contact with the ball itself we are to judge where he was and did it affect he keeper by blocking his line of sight or did he challenge and got NEAR enough to the ball to CLEARLY adversely impact the keeper thus be guilty of interfering with the opponent?. Based solely on your description it sounds like the keeper mishandled the ball as a slip /mistake and was not caused by the PIOP IMPACT on his abilities. Goooooooooooooooal!

Cheers