Question Number: 32600

Law 11 - Offside 7/19/2018

RE: Competitive Under 17

Bill of Virginia Beach, VA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 24189

If the PIOP (Attacker A) drops back behind the ball, when is Attacker A reevaluated for offside?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Bill
It is not an offence to be in an offside position.
Offside is evaluated on ever single touch of the ball by a team mate. If Player A drops behind the ball then he in an onside position so offside is re-evaluated on the next touch by his team mate.
A player who is an offside position at the moment of a play / touch by a team mate comes back into an onside position to play the ball that will be called offside when the player touches the ball.
Offside is also re-evaluated once the ball goes out of play or an opponents gains control or deliberately plays the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Bill ,
The PIOP could be FREE to rejoin active play if he adopted the position you described, once the touch of the ball by the team mate occurs. The PIOP, now being in a further away position from the opposing goal line then the ball itself, will be revaluated and released from his former PIOP restriction, but only AFTER the touch of the ball by the team mate occurs, whilst he is in a non offside position. There is no concern of a 2nd last defender if the ball itself is the offside positional criteria . Offside positional restrictions are reset at EVERY team mates touch of the ball. The PIOP reset can occur once the opposition have deliberate control (not a save or rebound/deflection) of the ball or off a stoppage in play .Keep in mind offside position is not a factor if the opposition has the free kick be it a DFK or INDFK or if your team has a throw in, corner or goal kick.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Bill,
There are two parts to the offside equation - offside position and involvement in active play. Offside position is evaluated whenever the ball is touched by a team mate. Involvement in active play is evaluated whenever a player does something that meets the criteria in the law for such involvement, assuming the player was in an offside position at the time the ball was last touched by a team mate.