Question Number: 15363

Law 11 - Offside 5/3/2007

RE: 5 Under 13

Quintin of Osoyoos, Canada asks...

a player is in an offside position and his fellow teamate comes with the ball past the defenders and keeps the ball is the first player offside?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

H Quitin,
if I am to decifer the meaning of what you ask I must assume it is,

Is the offside player placed back onside once his teammate dribbles the ball past him?

I can tell you this if only offside position was present prior by the first player once the ball is dribbled closer to the opposing goalline by his teammate and then touched by that team-mate it matters not if there is or is not two opponents even or closer as the ball becomes the central figure in determining if the offside criteria is in effect. That offside position is no longer once the ball is touched by the team mate past the first player as the ball is now closer to the opposing goalline.

Keep in mind EVERY touch by the teammate of the ball could reset offside if either players or the ball has moved since it was LAST touched.
Also note that an offside position is not an offence it must include involvement .
Your first player if he is offside positioned could be quilty of an offside infringment if he inadvertantly screens or causes an opponent to have to adjust to be able to get to the ball while his team-mate dribbles the ball past him (intefering with an opponent)
Now did I manage to get you the right info? Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Quinin, how can a player be guilty of an offside infraction by merely standing in an offside position? Offside involved position AND involvement. See Ref Fleischer's excellent piece on offside on our main page.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The referee must evaluate offside positions at each touch of the ball by the attack. The referee must understand the first line of Law 11: It is not an offence in itself to be in an offside position. The referee muse penalise those attackers, who were in offside positions at the last touch, who interfere with play or an opponent or gain advantage from being in an offside position.

Just because a player is in an offside position at one touch doesn't mean he is at the next. Watch, remember; watch, remember -- that's the key.

Regards,