Question Number: 30431

Law 11 - Offside 5/19/2016

RE: Under 19

Tom Schaller of Chicago, IL USA asks...

After Liverpool-Seville game dispute arose: Can a player be called offside, when:
-he stands in an offside position at the time the ball is played by teammate
-teammate kicks the ball back (towards his own goal)
-but the ball gets deflected by opponent (no real possession)
-and ends up with player in offside position

My buddy thinks: there can only be an offside scenario if a ball is played forward by the attacking team
I say: offside - doesn't matter if original ball was played sideways or backwards

Help?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Tom
This was clearly onside. The ball was deliberately played by a Liverpool player in the challenge and then kicked by a second Liverpool player to the Seville player that was positioned in an offside position. That could not be offside.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqFk-2GmAG4&t=5m30s
I would even go as far as to say that had the ball not been played by the first Liverpool player that the kick by the 2nd Liverpool player to the Seville was deliberate and not a rebound or deflection so again it could not be offside. Im not sure why the AR flagged for offside here. I think it was a *caught in the headlight* moment by thinking that the ball had to be played by a Seville player to the PIOP. Thankfully the CR got it correct and could be seen clearly waving the flag down.
BTW the direction of the kick by the attacking team to call offside can be in any direction as long as the offside conditions are met.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Tom,

Ask your buddy to show you where 'direction the ball is played in' is mentioned in Law 11.

You are correct - Law 11 makes no reference whatsoever to the direction of play. I've had several decisions where an attacker was in an offside position, the ball was passed backwards into space behind him, that player then ran backwards to retrieve the ball and was flagged. Many people think the ball must go forwards but it's just one of those common misunderstandings.