Question Number: 31892

Law 11 - Offside 10/11/2017

RE: Under 17

Michael Justin of Sydney, NSW Sydney asks...

The ball rebounds off keeper and to a player in an offside position? is it offside? Does the rule change just because it is a keeper?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Michael
A rebound or a deflection to a player in an offside position will be called offside as it does not reset the offside. It makes no difference if it is a goalkeeper. It is called gaming an advantage by being in an offside position,
However it is more likely that if it comes off the goalkeeper that it will be a save which while a deliberate play is never a reset. A save can also applies to an outfield player.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Michael,
a rebound or deflection off an opponent, IF that is what it is, changes nothing, it is the SAME as a deliberate save by an opponent. If you were a PIOP you are still restricted from play and would be guilty of gaining an advantage

Mind you if you were NOT a PIOP at the time the ball was last touched by a teammate you could run into an offside position to play that ball. It also depends as to who last touched the ball prior to the deflection or rebound was it a team mate of the PIOP then offside conditions remain but if it was a defender off another defender the offside might no longer exist.

Although I have seen a deliberate save by the red keeper go out and rebound off the back of red defender towards another red defender who in trying to kick it out and away was interfered with by a blue PIOP and I awarded the INDFK for offside for interfering with the opponent as I maintained that red saved and only deflected the ball up to that point it was not yet deliberately played.

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Michael,
When it come to rebounds in relation to offside, the law makes no distinction between goalkeepers and outfield players, it just talks about opponents. So nothing changes because the rebound was off the keeper. If the ball is deliberately played by a defender, the attacker cannot be guilty of an offside offence but according to the wording of the law this does not apply when the ball has:

''rebounded or been deflected off [...] an opponent [or] been deliberately saved by any opponent''