Question Number: 15629

Law 11 - Offside 5/28/2007

RE: competitive Adult

roger of clovelly, nsw australia asks...

If an offensive player is in an offside position and his team mate passes to him but the ball deflects off a defender on its way to the player in the offside position, is he offside or was he played onside by the ball's deflection off the defender?
Spectators will often call out that the attacker has been played onside. In my opinion at the moment the ball has been kicked by the passer, the player is offside regardless of what happens next.
Your answer.
Many thanks
Regards
Roger

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

You are right and wrong. If the ball deflects off an opponent, nothing changes you give offside. If the opponent PLAYS the ball to an opponent in offside position, then no offside. An opponent merely touching the ball does not reset offside.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Roger,
Offside is determined upon that last touch of the ball, however, a DEFLECTION of the ball off an opponent changes nothing! A deflection of the ball off an opponent will not save an offside positioned player from an offside infraction if prior to that
deflection(s) a teammate had last touched the ball.
ONLY if control and possession of the ball is established by that opponent could it reset offside parameters.

This is in DIRECT contrast to any deflection of a ball off a teammate which will change the offside phase and will reset offside against any teammate then occupied in an offside position rendering then ineligible for continued involvement!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The ball deflecting off a defender and changing the offside equation changed from not offside to offside in 1974. The spectators who shout it played the attacker onside are misinformed. Perhaps they have fallen for what television and radio commentators spout forth as truth...

Regards,

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