Question Number: 15973

Law 11 - Offside 7/8/2007

RE: College

pete piscopo of Medford, nj usa asks...

The ball is kicked from outside the 18.

It hits the horizontal cross bar of the goal.

Is offsides in play if the ball is advanced to the cross bar then played back to one of my forwards?

Is my forward considered offside if he is in an offside position when the ball is kicked?

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Here's the deal on offside at the taking of a free kick in the opponent's half, except on a corner kick, anyone closer the goal line and the last but one opponent or the last two opponents [in an offside position] may not interfere with play or interfere with an opponent or gain advantage. If, when you write played back, you mean the ball deflects from the crossbar an offside player may not participate. If you mean the ball deflects from the crossbar to an opponent and deflects to your offside player he may not get involved.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Pete,
the ball rebounding off a post ora ball deflecting off an opponent does not reset offside for your team. If you had offside positioned forward players at the time that your kick from outside the 18 occurs then they remain unable to participate in active play.

If there were onside players they could chase down the ball and while they might appear offside positioned when they get to the ball it does not matter because that is not where they were when your team last touched the ball. Cheers