Question Number: 31687

Law 11 - Offside 8/7/2017

RE: Competitive Under 12

Chris of Auckland , New zealand asks...

Hi
In a recent game an attacker was behind the last defender when a defender who had the ball kicked it. The ball ricocheted off the rear of another defender to the feet of the same attacker who was still closer to the goal than the last defender. I blew offside as i thought he gained an advantage from where he was even though it was a defensive error that fed him the ball. I surmised that even though the first defenders kick of the ball was deliberate the second defender had not made an intentional play and was just unlucky he became the defelection. No one questioned the decision but was incorrect or incorrect. I thought it came down to advantage gained from deflection.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Chris,

as described it appears you were incorrect, sorry! There was no basis for considering him gaining an advantage what this was a gift from the opposition thank you very much!

There is NO offence here, as the ball was NOT LAST TOUCHED by a team mate the attacker's position is not relevant.

If that deflection was off another attacker. even as an accidental touch it WOULD place him offside positioned thus he can not be involved.

However a deflection of the ball off the defender by another defender the 1st deliberate touch by the 1st defender has already reset any restriction in place on the attacker prior to the 1st defender having possession of the ball. The defection off a defending team mate changes nothing regarding the oppositions offside status

ONLY if the 1st defender had made a deliberate save could the deflection off the other defender possibly not affect the attacker's previous offside position because neither a deliberate save or deflection /rebound by the defenders will NOT reset offside restrictions for the attackers !

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Chris,
The law on offside tells us that a player can only be penalised for an offside offence if they are ''in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched by a team-mate ...''

So if there is no touch by a team mate (and there was not in the situation you describe) there can be no offside offence.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Chris
I regret to inform you that as described you got that call incorrect. As the ball deliberately came from the defending team there CANNOT be any offside. What you have confused is a pass from an attacking team mate that is deflected / rebounds off a defender in which case it is gaining an advantage by being in that offside position. The deflection / rebound does not reset offside. Not so when the ball is deliberately played by the defending team.
The only way this could be offside was if the ball last played / deflected / rebounded off an ATTACKER on the way to the players team mate who is penalised for offside when he interferes with play or an opponent
I suspect it was not challenged maybe because the players did not know who the ball came off or got confused?
Last season as an AR I gave a correct one of these where the defender kicked the ball strongly off an attacker in a clearance of the ball and it rebounded instantly to an attacker in an offside position. Some intital confusion about the flag until the CR informed the players that the ball rebounded off an attacker to the PIOP and then the penny dropped. Had it rebounded off a defender from a defenders clearance there could not be any offside.