Question Number: 31453

Law 13 - Free Kicks 4/13/2017

RE: competitive Under 17

Carlos of Mountainside, NJ USA asks...

A free kick has been awarded to the attacking team a couple of yards outside the penalty box. As normally happens, both teams prepare for the kick. The defending team focuses on their wall and the attackers focus on playing a rebound. There is no offside offense when the kick is taken. Following the ball, one of the attacking players scores after the ball hits the cross bar then bounces on the ground in his direction. Should this goal stand?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Carlos
From your description it reads that all the attacking players were in an onside position at the moment of the shot in which case the ball has rebounded off the frame of the goal there cannot be any offside nor could there be offside if the ball rebounded / deflected off an opponent.
Now if the scorer moved too soon before the kick into an offside position that player would be penalised for offside for gaining an advantage by being in that position the moment that player touches or plays the ball that rebounds off the frame of the goal or an opponent.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Carlos,
as long as the attacker who scores was NOT the kicker then the goal should be fine if there was no offside positioned attacker who interfered with opponent or ball when the kick occurred!

Offside is adjudged at the moment the ball is kicked so along as the scorer has not violated that protocol of being closer to the goal line than the 2nd last opponent, the ball is free to be played off any rebound/deflection.

I have seen the attacker OPP move into a position to block the keeper's line of sight just BEFORE the kick the resulting rebound of the ball off the woodwork and an onside player scores what he THINKS is good goal but the AR or CR notes the keeper WAS interfered with and COULD have perhaps made a play the offside antics of the screener are sufficient to award the INDFK for offside!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Carlos,
My colleagues have given a few caveats as to scenarios that might possibly invalidate a goal scored in similar circumstances, but assuming everything you state in your description is completely accurate and so long as the attacker who scored was not the free kick taker, the goal should stand.