Question Number: 30725

Law 11 - Offside 9/7/2016

RE: Club Select Under 15

Jeff of Canton, MA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 30721

'As the defender had time to stick out his leg to play the ball that may not be considered a deflection or a rebound. If it is deemed a play on the ball then offside is reset and it is play on.'

So, if a true deflection, offside is reset even if ball went to player who was in offside position and to whom ball was initially played to, before deflection?

And if the defender made a play on the ball and the ball went to a player in an offside position, is the offsides called?

And finally, along this line of reasoning, a shot on goal where the goalie deflects shot away and it lands at feet of a player who was in an offsides position prior to the shot, is offsides called?

Thank you for helping to gain a better understanding of when to call and when not to call.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jeff
Let us deal with the easy part first. A save by a player including the goalkeeper does not reset offside and Law 11 spells that out specifically. The PIOP will be called offside for
gaining an advantage by playing the ball or interfering with an opponent when it has: # rebounded or been deflected off the goalpost, crossbar or an opponent # been deliberately saved by any opponent.
A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent who deliberately plays the ball (except from a deliberate save by any opponent) is not considered to have gained an advantage.
A ‘save’ is when a player stops a ball which is going into or very close to the goal with any part of the body except the hands (unless the goalkeeper within the penalty area).
In the case of a true deflection offside is not reset so offside will be called once a player in an offside position interferes with play or with an opponent. So let us say that a pass by the attacking team hits a defenders who did nothing other than the ball striking him and deflects to a player in an offside position then offside will be called when the PIOP plays the ball.
If though the defender plays the ball then offside is reset. As stated in the previous answers there can be a fine line between deliberate play and deflection. The referee is the judge of the difference and the guidelines given are to assist in deciding which it is. Even on the site we have opined differently on what was a deflection / deliberate play on occasions.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Jeff,
it is a difficult image to project that the exact same motion movement or action which would RESET offside is in fact NOT applicable IF the CR decides that ACTION was to SAVE the ball from entering the goal or possibly entering the goal.
WHEN there are DELIBERATE saves they are classified the same as a rebound or deflection in they DO NOT RESET the opposing teams offside restrictions. This allows for the gaining an advantage clause to remain and thus indfk in favour of defenders when attackers who are PIOP intervene

If you examine what constitutes a deliberate action we look to multiple factors. How much time, space, speed of play, line of sight, the ball movement, players action are they autonomous responses or a calculated tactical effort?
Cheers

Think on what constitutes a deliberate handling offence in how we determine whether the player moved into the ball or if the ball moved into him? To some extent this concept maybe helpful in determining the difference between deflection/rebound or a deliberate action to play the ball