Question Number: 32356

Law 11 - Offside 4/9/2018

RE: Select Under 13

Stuart Lisk of Carnation, WA United States asks...

My question is related to offside.

An offensive player had the ball. Another offensive player is in the offside position. The player with the ball passed it to their left and either even or behind themselves and caused the player in the offside position to come back to the ball and receive it.

is this an offside infraction? As the single ref, no ARs, i called the offside and the coach yelled that it cannot be an offside call.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Stuart
Thanks for the question. As described you were totally correct. Direction of the pass is irrelevant in offside as the attacking player was in an offside position when the ball was played and the PIOP came back from an offside position to interfere with play.
Generally if the ball is played back or sideways it can be to a player positioned who is level or behind the ball which is not an offside position. The most stark one of these can be a player coming back from an offside position in the opponents half to play the ball in his own half. The IDFK is taken in the player's own half so it cannot be much more obvious than that.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Stuart,
as described if a PIOP returns to what looks onside matters not IF the RESTRICTION by POSITION is STILL in effect & once INVOLVED he is guilty of an offside offence. Coaches yelling is common it is what they do! lol It rarely makes sense or is correct! As my colleague Ref McHugh adroitly points out the direction of the pass plays no part ONLY the POSITION of the player in regards to the 2nd last opponent & the opposition goal line when a team mate last touches the ball. For the pass NOT to affect the offside as a last touch, a NEW ball touch by an onside teammate or deliberate play that was not a save by the opposition would have to occur.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Stuart,
All it takes for an offside offence to occur is for the player who was in an offside position when the ball was last touched by a team mate, to subsequently become involved in active play, for instance by receiving (touching) the ball. It does not matter which direction the ball or the player travels between the touch by the team mate and the involvement in active play.

Based on your description, you made the correct decision and as ref Dawson says, coaches will frequently yell about decisions that go against their team, regardless of whether they are correct or not.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 32361