Question Number: 32354

Law 11 - Offside 4/6/2018

RE: Intermediate Under 14

Phil of Tarzana, CA United States asks...

This question is a follow up to question 32343

I'm a little confused as to what Referee McHugh said. ' If the player is injured as part of play and does not return the referee has to make a decision. The player is still placed on the line until the ball is cleared away towards half way.'

This only applies if the injured player leaves the field without permission, right? If the player leaves with the referees permission, he/she is not considered at all in offside decisions because the player cannot return without the referees permission.

Thanks again for all your wisdom.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Phil
Yes that is correct. To leave with permission on an injury generally only happens at a stoppage and the player is not counted in offside until he returns with permission. What was referenced was the player whose momentum brings him off and does not return due to an injury. In that instance the player is factored into offside until the ball is played away by the defending team towards halfway and a new phase of play can begin. When it is played away and the player cannot return due to injury he is not then considered in the offside calculation. The injury, the ball being played away towards halfway by the defending team and the inability to return is tacit permission to leave the FOP. Return though requires permission if the player is off for any length of time and or gets treatment while off.
In this example Blue player behind the goal plays the attacker onside
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ePFjXxbJdz0
If however the ball was cleared away towards halfway by Blue and Orange was to begin another phase of play the Blue player can and should be excluded from the offside calculation. IFAB opined that it was unfair that an injured defending player off the field *plays everyone onside* until play stops. The new wording defines the end of the phase of play when the defender is no longer considered to be on the field for the purposes of offside.