Question Number: 30515

Law 11 - Offside 6/16/2016

RE: Adult

Dave of Southamptob, UK asks...

In Euro 2016, Jamie Vardy stood in an off-line position, as the ball was played to him.

It reached him after being deflected off a Welsh defenders head.

Why is Vardy not off-line, as still interfering with play etc?

Thanks

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Dave
When the ball was played in by Sturridge, Vardy was clearly in an onside position. The ball was then headed by Williams (Wales) towards his own goal and by that time Vardy had moved into an offside position. As the ball was last played by Williams Vardy could not be offside as a player cannot be offside from a play by an opponent. Even if it was a deflection / rebound off the Welsh player Williams Vardy could not be offside on that either as he was onside the last time the ball was played by an English player. Good decision by the officials.
One of the unhelpful parts of the TV coverage was that the play was freeze framed at the moment the ball was headed by Williams. It should have been freeze framed at the moment of the cross by Sturridge which would have showed Vardy clearly onside at that key moment when the ball was last played by an England team mate.