Question Number: 35271

Law 11 - Offside 12/7/2023

RE: Under 14

Tyler of Vancouver, BC Canada asks...

Hello, offside question here. If a player kicks the ball from an onside position and it bounces off a defending player and at the moment it bounced off the defender the attacking player was in a offside position and he receives the ball (should be offside for interfering with play). Would this be offside? In this case would the position of the attacking player be taken from the moment he played the ball, or the moment it bounced off the defender. Just to clarify, it bounced off the defender, he didn't play it.

Thank you!!

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Tyler ,
thanks for the question & welcome to the ranks of whistle happy nerds who love the game!

(1) The position of that attacker receiving the ball plays no part in positional determination that was set in stone ONLY when the kicker (team mate) last touched the ball earlier. .

(2) Any ball contact with a defender determined in the opinion of the referee to be a rebound or deflection or deliberate save by a defending opponent will NOT change or reset any thing related to the attacking team .

)3) When the attacking player became involved in either a physical touch of the ball, thus interfering with play or he challenged and perhaps interfered with the opponent depending on that earlier positional determination if adjudged as a PIOP then offside INDFK from that point on the field no matter the location even inside the attackers own half!
OR
if that player was NOT adjudged as a PIOP when the kicker (team mate) last touched the ball earlier. Then play on, no matter what position on the FOP he might NOW occupy as he was ONSIDE at the last freeze frame moment of evaluation!

For a more detailed explanation read on!

Offside is a TWO part equation. The determination of
POSITION ( the 1st part)
regulates if the attacking player can or cannot be
INVOLVED (the 2nd part)

When the TEAM MATE of the player in question makes physical contact with the ball, you snap a picture & freeze frame every thing on that FOP!
You need to grasp that precise moment in time is critical.
If you mess up the 1st part chances are the 2nd part will be incorrect
You need to be very aware that players and ball actually do not stop, they KEEP moving often very fast and in opposite or multi directional

Your scenario infers the kicker is onside and when he plays the ball, he has a team mate somewhere on the FOP. Ask yourself, at that exact last touch of foot/body to ball moment, where is that team mate's POSITION in relationship to being closer to the opposing goal line than the 2nd last opponent or the ball?

You see THAT determines if the teammate is RESTRICTED or not from getting involved/

If he is offside positioned, then he CAN NOT get involved. be it to interfere with play or any opponent. It does not matter if he runs back to an onside looking position because NOTHING a RPIOP ( restricted player in an offside position) can do on their own, can RESET that exclusion .

On the reverse side of that, IF at that exact moment when the kicker last touched the ball the team mate was onside and he runs into an offside looking position to play the ball , it is perfectly fine, as he is STILL onside, no matter the chattering defenders screaming for the call.

What is interesting, if there is no deliberate action under taken by the defending opposition to play or challenge for that ball, then any accidental or unavoidable deflection or rebound off that defender does not CHANGE the STATUS of that attacker.

If that attacker was a PIOP he is STILL a PIOP and still restricted, no matter what actual position on the FOP he might NOW occupy!

Yet if that attacker was determined to be onside, he remains onside no matter what position on the FOP he might NOW occupy.

Similarly while deflections and rebounds are NOT grounds for reset neither is a deliberate save. What was the attackers status remains the same, no matter what actual position on the FOP he might NOW occupy.

This however, does not apply to a deliberate action to play the ball by a defender (that is not a save) as it will RESET any restricted PIOP to an onside status no matter what position on the FOP he might NOW occupy as the last deliberate touch of the ball is not by an attacking teammate.

It is crucial to remember to FREEZE FRAME and reset that positional evaluation at EVERY single touch of the ball by a TEAM MATE. Each evaluation can either can free or imprison said player depending on that team mates location on the FOP at that exact same time!
Cheers
Merry Christmas

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Tyler
The answer is that the position of the player receiving the ball in an offside position is taken in determining offside at the moment the ball is played by a team mate.
That means that if the player was in an onside position at that moment the ball was played / touched by a team mate then there cannot be an offside even if the ball is received in an offside position.

It is a regular occurrence in the game. The ball can be played through with an attacking team mate running from an onside position to play the ball in an offside position. That as you know is not offside.

In respect of the ball touching an opponent in these possible offside plays it is only a reset of offside if the ball is deliberately PLAYED by a defender. A rebound does not reset offside should it be present.

In your example it was a rebound so no reset is possible. The decision rest on the position of the attacker at the moment the ball was played by a team mate. If that receiver was in an offside position when the ball was played by a team mate then it is offside. If the player was in an onside position when the ball was played then it cannot be offside and the touch by the opponent makes no difference.

Hope that helps