Question Number: 16018

Law 11 - Offside 7/13/2007

RE: rec Adult

alex of richmond hill, on canada asks...

If I remember correctly about the offside rule many years ago, a player in an offside position commits a foul only if the ball is played forward by his/her team mate. There is no offside foul on a backward pass.

The recent law book does not mention backward passes and I can only conclude a player in an offside position running back to receive a backward pass (even running back into his/her own half) commits an offense.

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

Offside is NOT a foul. Fouls pertain to Law 12 and offside has its own law. A player in an offside position is penalized if and only if he gets involved in play. There cannot be offside on a backwards pass as the player was NOT closer to goal line than the ball so they were not in an offside position. Remember: 1. Closer to goal line than ball, 2nd last defender and 2. Must be on attacking half of field. If both are not true, then they are not in an offside position.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The direction of the pass is immaterial. What matters is the position of the player with respect to the ball and the opponents. A player could be ahead the 2nd to last opponent and ahead of the ball which his teammate kicks backward, and if he runs back to get it he would be offside.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

A player in an offside position at the moment a teammate touches or plays the ball cannot actively participate in play. It matters not which direction the ball is played, the player in offside position may not go and collect it until offside is reset