Question Number: 32256

Law 11 - Offside 2/21/2018

RE: Competitive Under 15

Jay of Slater, Missouri USA asks...

Is the attacker offside if the ball he strikes hits the goal post and comes directly back to the Attacker without the ball touching the Keeper. No other player is in front of the Attacker.

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Jay,
To be guilty of an offside offence, a player has to become involved in active play (by touching the ball or interfering with an opponent) after having been in an offside position when the ball was last touched by a team mate.

The passage of play that you describe does not involve a touch by a team mate so there can be no offside offence. A player cannot be guilty of an offside offence by playing a ball to himself, it has to come from a team mate.

There could be a possibility that the player was offside when he first received the ball, before striking it but there is nothing in your description that addresses that possibility.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Jay,
if the shooter is NOT offside when he 1st plays the ball, it is impossible for him to be a PIOP by playing his own rebound off ANY opponent or any official or any post, crossbar or corner flag. Only if a teammate was involved is there a possibility of offside.

It does not matter if the ball directly rebounds off the goal itself or comes off the keeper, the onside shooter is NOT offside. ONLY if this was a PK would a rebound off the woodwork require a keepers' touch otherwise the PK shooter would be guilty of a 2nd touch.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jay
No possible offside. Offside requires two attacking players to be involved. A player who plays the ball and a receiver in an offside position who interferes with play or an opponent.
Look at it this way. The kicker has played the ball to himself off a post. The same would apply on a rebound off an opponent. A player cannot be offside on a pass to himself or a dribble or a rebound to himself.
Now if the rebound goes to a teammate who is in an offside position then that is offside. To stay onside in such situations the only possible way is to be behind the ball at the moment of the kick. Then there is no possible offside either.