Question Number: 30923

Law 11 - Offside 10/19/2016

RE: Competitive High School

Mark Ralt of San Jose, CA USA asks...

Case #5. Suppose orange was on a counter attack and drills a shot at the green goalkeeper. Suppose green 1C was left alone in the opponents half and the green goalie punts the ball and 1C gets a head to it. Would he be offsides in his own half? What he walked into his own half before the goalkeeper punted it out, previously being in an offsides position, and then getting a head to it, would he still be offsides?

Pic: http://tinypic.com/r/14bp8yg/9

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mark
I believe if you focus on the MOMENT the ball is played by a team mate not previous positions the answer would be clear. If 1C was in the opponents half alone with the goalkeeper he is in an offside position at the moment of the play by the goalkeeper he will be called offside when the touches the ball. If he is in his own half at the moment of the touch by his team mate he cannot be offside

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Mark,
in active play the keeper's last touch of the ball on his punt out will SET the offside restrictions for any team mate inside the opposition half closer to their goal line then the 2nd last opponent. If the punt the ball over the midline or the ball falls short of the midline it MAKES no difference the OPP is guilty of offside no matter where he heads it from. The only difference is the restart location is from the moment of actual involvement (where the header occurs) so the INDFK could occur either side of the midline. This is NEW to offside.
As to the team mate returning to his own half before his keeper punts it out that player is utterly free to chase that ball down or head it on either side of the midline because he was not offside positioned in his own half when the ball was last touched by his team mate the keeper. Just keep in mind if this was a GOAL kick then the positions do not matter as offside is exempt
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Mark,

Not only doesn't it matter where the player moved from before the last touch by a team mate, it also doesn't matter (in terms of determing offside position) where he moves to after that touch. Once again (and as in all your previous questions) it only matters where he was at the exact moment of that touch, when deciding on the first part of the offside equation. The only time movement subsequent to the last touch by a team mate might matter, is when it comes to the second part of the equation, determining involvement in active play - and only when it involves interfering with an opponent.