Question Number: 32902

Law 11 - Offside 11/29/2018

RE: Rec Adult

Russell of Sydney, Australia asks...

This question is a follow up to question 32896

Ref Dawson mentions
'There are some far out ways the LOTG can be twisted for example did you know you can have players in an offside position who would be restricted from active play from both teams at the same time??'

Would this be one of these situation (as wild a scenario as it is)...

Red team are attacking and have Red 11 as a PIOP when Red 9 shoots and the Blue keeper makes a deliberate save. Blue 7 was also a PIOP although, down the other end of the FOP. Is Blue 7 restricted from coming back and playing the ball from the 'deliberate save' ?

We know a deliberate save does not rest offside (implied for the attacking team), however, what about the defending team (Blue 7 above)?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Russell,
#7 Blue player is a PIOP as when the ball was last touched by a team mate he was positioned accordingly & a deliberate save, deflection or rebound does not reset the oppositions restriction so #11 red is still a PIOP The black hole theory of a double offside restriction through position generally has little possibility as the chances of the two meeting at the same time for involvement is almost nil.

As you are well aware a single touch of the ball by a teammate SETS up the positional restriction possibility, if there is a teammate inside the opposing half closer to the opposing goal line then the 2nd last opponent. So in your case if there was a deliberate save or deflection or rebound where say a blue keeper or blue defender was hit by the ball thus NOT resetting any red PIOP in around the blue PA there could be a lollygagging blue striker hanging out in the red half of the FOP? The red PIOP can not yet play the ball as he would be gaining an advantage & in effect neither could the blue striker given he would be receiving the ball off a team mate but the chance that only those two would challenge for the ball would be almost nil given the separation of distance.

In a match many years ago I actually had a very unusual situation that almost had me in stitches BECAUSE there was the a PIOP from each team challenging for a ball? I was thinking how to decided who is at fault .

What occurred was a lone green striker tired that was simply fatigued running into the corner to cross a ball that was cleared out downfield & he was slowly recovering on the left side of the touchline across from the opposition PA. The entire white team had pushed way up placing our tired green striker in behind their 2nd last opponent who was on the opposite side of the FOP. Just to give you an idea he is clearly on his own in 30 yards of space.

Meanwhile the white team trying to launch a counter attack but the ball was being contested but the green team was pressed up very high at the midline The 2nd last green opponent moved up quickly to place a streaking white striker on that left touchline on a offside position, given no pass was yet on its way the white player circled and ran back. The situation unfolded like a Laurel & Hardy film. White then managed a cross field pass that had a lot of zip to it but a blue player up near the mid-line was stumbling because he clipped his own ankle with the toe of his boot, the ball deflected off his knee along the left touchline. It was absolutely clear he had no idea, the ball simply rebounded off of him, back across midfield down the touchline. The returning white striker was in fact a PIOP at the time of the pass, the deflection changed nothing of his restricted status, but the touch albeit accidental then places our green straggler as a PIOP as well. The ball looked as if it might go into touch and I think a few of the non restricted players thought so, thus made no real effort to chase it. The TWO players who did was the late returning green PIOP and the returning white PIOP who simply decided to chase the ball back. All this became possible because of how both teams had pushed up so high to maintain a high offside line most of the two teams were about 10 yards of center on either side & of how fast the white returning player galvanized the green striker to get a hustle on to get there before the ball exited.
The ball looked as if it might go into touch since it partially crossed the boundary line but then it kind of straighten out rolling along the touchline and back in-towards the center of th field .

So given it was these two PIOPS in pursuit who gets the call? LOL

Rather then see this collision I decided to award it to white as it seemed to be the easier sell and the ball was right there to be kicked. Yet the white PIOP was the first restricted player, do you think I could sell the INDFK back in the blue half?
Cheers