Question Number: 15075

Law 11 - Offside 3/29/2007

RE: Travel Under 12

Ramon Janeiro of wilimington, DE usa asks...

A player standig off sides, receives a ball headed back by a defender or deflected by a defender. Is it off sides?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Ramon,
there is both a yes and a no as well as a maybe in your answer!

First the YES: If he plays the ball he is OFFSIDE (just a reminder lose the (s) on the back of offside)

If there is an offside positioned player ANY DEFLECTION off an opponent does NOT forgive his inability to participate in play!

LAW 11 offside Decision 2 point 3

The definitions of elements of involvement in active play by
Gaining an advantage by being in that position means playing a ball that rebounds to him off a post or the crossbar having been in an offside position or playing a ball that rebounds to him off an opponent having been in an offside position.

Next the NO! If he plays the ball he is NOT offside

A headed ball COULD be a concious act to direct, control and play the ball to a certain player or point on the field of play.
This consitutes control and posession and as such resets offside
criteria.

Finally MAYBE !If he plays the ball he might be or not be offside

It will DEPEND In the OPINION of the Referee, whether the ball off the head was in fact a glancing effort thus a deflection thus OFFSIDE
or a controlled act where the defender maybe unaware an opponent was nearby and grants him a gift! NOT OFFSIDE
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Deflected, absolutely not. If the referee is of the opinion the header constituted control, no offside. If no control, then it's an offside offense

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

If the defender established control and played it to the attacker, then no offside. If it was a mere deflection, that does NOT reset offside because there was no control established.