Question Number: 30489

Law 11 - Offside 6/6/2016

Larry of Danville, CA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 30480

Your referenced video shows a player in an offside position who runs a long distance to get the ball, and the AR waits to make certain that the player is going to touch it before raising the flag. I thought the AR did the right thing, as that ball might have gone out of play and it would have been a goal kick, or throw-in instead of an IDFK. The old restart position would have been where the player was when the ball was last touched by a team mate. With the new Law, where is the restart position? Or do we now just wait for the actual play of the ball by the OSP before flagging, and restart at that location?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

One of the changes in the new Laws of the Game was that the location of a restart for offside is where the player became involved in play, even if that location is in the player's own half. So when you wait for the offside positioned player to run 40 yards before becoming involved, the restart is at that position 40 yards away.

In most cases in the past, when offside was called after a wait, the restart tended to be nearer the place of involvement anyway, because the player was following the ball. So maybe this change was just to codify what was really taking place in practice.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Larry
One if the challenges we sell have as ARs is interpreting what is likely to happen in offside scenarios. Always great when it works out as anticipated.
Under the new Laws the offside IDFK will be taken from where the PIOP interferes with play or an opponent not from his position when tend ball was played by a team mate as heretofore. One of the unusual situations that will create is that an offside IDFK can be taken in the opponents half where the PIOP plays the ball not his offside position.
In the video example the IDFK can be taken from the location of the flag which is actually what happened.

Answer provided by Referee James Sowa

Larry,

The new restart would be at the location of the player when they commit the offside infraction. If it happens to be 40 yards from where they start or even in their own half, it no longer matters. When the flag goes up, wherever that player is becomes the location of the restart.