Question Number: 31072

Law 11 - Offside 11/30/2016

RE: Adult

Stewart of Livermore, CA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 31063

Not meaning to be too picky, but the questioner stated the goal keeper parried the ball and then a player who had been in an offside position shot and scored. If that is correct, I believe the goal is good. Your responses of no goal are correct if the goal kicker saved or deflected the ball. A parry indicates control, therefore offside would be reset.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Stewart
The term parried was loosely used by the questioner. Older versions of the Laws of the Game stated that possession of the ball includes the goalkeeper deliberately parrying the ball. So possession of the ball by the goalkeeper would normally reset offside although there could be situations that the GK is challenged by a PIOP in the act of a parry or it is in fact a save which would not be a reset and offside would apply. In this case it was a clear save not a parry and the goalkeeper at no time exerted any control on to the ball. The ball was diverted ball on to the post by the save which then rebounded to the player in an offside position. Classic example of gaining an advantage by being in an offside position.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Stewart,
I feel I should point out that the term or concept of a parry does not exist in the Laws of the Game. It used to be mentioned but the part of the Laws that contained it has been removed - very possibly, in my opinion, because when it was in there, it made the law confusing and somewhat self-contradictory.

Now the law says that the keeper is not in control of the ball if it ''rebounds accidentally from the goalkeeper or the goalkeeper has made a save.'' As far as I am aware, what is sometimes referred to as a parry is often more akin to a save or an accidental rebound, neither of which constitutes control.

There is another kind of 'parry' (remembering that this is an unofficial term that the Laws don't use or define) where a slowly-moving ball which could easily be caught and held is instead intentionally pushed away by the keeper. This for me, would meet the definition of control because the keeper has touched the ball with part of the hands or arms and it is not an accidental rebound or a save.

As Ref McHugh says, what is being discussed here is a save.