Question Number: 31800

Law 11 - Offside 9/19/2017

RE: Adult

Muhammad Rizwan of Abbottabad, KPK Pakistan asks...

Sir, Hope you are well. Yesterday I was watching the local match here in my city and a goalkeeper kick the goal kick and it was directly taken by the striker / attacker from the head and forward it to his player who was in offside position. The Assistant Referee did not raise his flag and he told me that until the ball is not move back the player never guilty offside during the goal kick, corner kick and throw in. I told him that he received the ball indirectly so he should be penalized for offside it does not matter ball is moved back or forward. What you say Sir?

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Muhammad,
I'm not quite sure from your description exactly what happened here but it is true that the exemption from offside only applies when a player receives the ball directly from the goal kick. If after the goal kick, another team mate touches the ball and a player who was in an offside position at the time of the touch, becomes involved in active play, an offside offence has occurred.

It is also true that the direction the ball travels has no bearing on an offside decision.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Muhammad
Thanks for the question.
Okay I am not really sure from your description.
If a player in an offside position receives the ball DIRECTLY (which mean NO touch by anyone else) from a goal kick then it is not offside. The same applies to throw ins and corner kicks. Once there is a touch by a team mate then offside applies at the moment of that touch
From your description it reads like the ball was played on by a team mate to a player in an offside position and therefore the flag should have gone up for offside
I hope that helps.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Muhammed,
Ok the offside position is NOT considered on the initial restart for throw in, corner kick or goal kick..

If I read you right you are saying on a direct goal kick the ball was redirected off the head of another player towards an attacker in an offside position.

If this player was a teammate then there would be a NEW touch of the ball and the PIOP would be guilty of offside.

IF this player was a defensive opponent then there is NO reset of offside if the ball then goes to an attacker, the exemption remains and thus no offside infraction occurs!

The AR must consider every NEW touch of the ball by the attacking teammates as a reset and re-evaluate those concerned with involvement. The exemption on the 3 restarts remains if the ball is played or deflected off an opponent as it is NOT a teammate making NEW contact.
Cheers