Question Number: 34376

Law 11 - Offside 10/11/2021

RE: REC Under 13

Bobby of North East, Illinois USA asks...

Sorry if asked before but I want to make sure if I made the correct call. Offensive player A is in a clearly offside position. Offensive player B ,in possession of the ball, breaks through the defensive line and heads to the goal. Player A had not been involved in the play but in the excitement of the breakthrough, player A runs to player B and takes the ball from player B. Player A did not pass the ball to player B. Player B took the ball from her teammate Player A. Offside?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Bobby
I think you have your A and B mixed up here at the end?
The decision rests on the position of Player A when the ball was last touched by Player B. It is highly likely if not certain that Player A was ahead of the ball, which is now the offside line, when last touched by B after he broke through the defensive line as described and therefore it is offside.
If A can get level or behind the ball after B breaks through the offside line and before the last touch by B then there is no offside
It does not have to be a PASS or a deliberate play for offside to apply. Law 11 tells us that a player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or TOUCHED by a team-mate in penalised.
So for example a player in an offside position at the moment of the last touch who comes to take the ball left by a team mate will be penalised for offside on interfering with play by playing the ball

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Bob,
do not worry the only foolish question is one unasked.
A is a PIOP (player in offside position)
Team mate B has ball
Team mate B carries the ball closer to the opposing goal line than the 2nd last opponent so NOW the ball itself is the imaginary offside line we often see displayed on the videos.
IMPORTANT every single touch of the ball by B determines if A is still PIOP or not
IF A recovers the ball from B where was A at the moment B last touched the ball?
Did B dribble the ball past A to where the ball was closer than A to the goal line when B then last touches the ball?
If so A can come over & move up to take possession and be onside.
Did A step back to get to that ball and thus was STILL restricted as a PIOP?
If so then INDFK out for intefrering with play!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Bobby,
The only question you need to ask here is, where was player A at the last touch of the ball by player B? If at that point in time they were closer to the opponent's goal line than both the ball and the second last defender, then once they touch the ball, they are guilty of an offside offence.

The offside law does not require that the ball be passed from one team mate to another, only that the ball be played or touched.