Question Number: 16097

Law 11 - Offside 7/24/2007

RE: Competive

Philip of Houston, TX USA asks...

How would a ball deflection off of an attacker affect an offside condition?

Example - Play is close to the goal and the attacking team passes the ball away from the goal to a player with a clear lane to shoot. Striker(A1) sends hard shot towards goal. All attackers (say A2 & A3) are onside at this point. Ball hits crossbar rebounds hard back into the field deflects off of an onside attacker(A2) and rolls towards the goal. Another attacker(A3), now in an offside position when the ball deflects off of attacker(A2), taps the ball in for a goal.

Is a deflection off of an attacker evaluated any differently than a controlled or deliberate play of the ball by an attacker?

I am inclined to say it is offside.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Philip,
You be correct to be inclined
a DEFLECTION of the ball off an opponent changes nothing if the attacking player was previously offside he remains offside even if he is no longer in an offside position;
if he is previously onside he remains onside even if he appears to be in an offside position.
It is a CONTINUATION od the same phase of play!

A DEFLECTION of the ball off off a TEAM MATE is considered a TOUCH or play of the ball and it DOES resets offside at that moment as we freeze frame the position of all players if a team mate is offside positioned at that moment he is restricted from active play if he is onside at that exact moment he is free to particiapate in play. Where they were prior does NOT matter it is a NEW phase of play! Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Ben Mueller

A deflection off an attacker is a new touch by a teammate and thus offside position is now reset. The referee must now re-evaulate the attacker at questions position at the moment of this new touch of a teammate.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Phillip you need to have a quick look at Law 11. It states an offence is, in part: the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team. In no place is it mentioned a "deflection off of an attacker evaluated any differently than a controlled or deliberate play of the ball by an attacker". The ball need only touch and that means the same thing as "having made contact with".

Many referees listen to others who overly complicate this simple concept. When the ball touches an attacker no team mate in an offside position, at that instant, can get involved in play. This prohibition can change every time the ball touches any attacker again. Offside is a black and white issue, either you are or are not offside. Either you can or can not get involved in play.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

"Is a deflection off of an attacker evaluated any differently than a controlled or deliberate play of the ball by an attacker?" Short answer? Nope. He's still offside, no goal - IDFK wherever the attacker A3 was when called for the offside. Deflection isn't the right word here, it is a touch, and it means the offside has been reset. Your instincts were correct.