Question Number: 30105

Law 11 - Offside 2/14/2016

RE: LEVEL Adult

Lenard Wynne of Johannesburg, South Africa asks...

A goal kick is taken correctly, a defender jumps in an attempt to header the ball clear but mistimes the header, the ball deflects off his head and goes to an attacker who is in an offside position, is the attacker penalized for being offside?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Lenard,
Short answer NOT offside!
A GOAL kick is one of the 3 restarts where no offside is possible on the initial kick. The other two are corner kick and throw in! Try to remember first guy on either team to get to the ball gets a free pass on offside on ANY of those 3 restarts!

Both teams are exempt from offside!
The defender in heading the ball has last touched the ball! NOW the rest of his team is not exempt! At that time the rest of the defending team is adjudged for offside position, not that involvement would be a consideration. The attacking team was exempt at the goal kick and nothing has yet occurred to change that.
It matters not whether you believe the defender played the ball deliberately or it deflected because the attacker upon receiving the ball does so with impunity.
It is the REST of the attacking team which will NOW be adjudged for offside position. The attacker is now the team mate who has last played/touched the ball and while he can do as he likes since he has legal ball possession. The rest of his team is now adjudged for offside position. If they are ALL further away than the ball from the opposing goal line. Then no offside is yet possible.

IF say there was one teammate closer to the opposing goal then the attacker receiving that ball off the deflection from the goal kick and he takes a shot which the keeper saves that other team mate is NOW restricted because offside criteria are in effect at that critical last touch of the ball by the team mate. The shooter could still play the rebound but it could be an INDFK out for gaining an advantage if the other, closer team mate, became involved.


Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Lenard
A player cannot be offside from any goal kick no matter who takes it. It is one of three restarts that offside does not apply to the other being a throw in and a corner kick. As a defender / opponent has touched the ball that changes nothing so there cannot be offside. The referee allows play to continue.
It could only be offside if the touch to the player in an offside position was from a team mate.

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