Question Number: 16536

Law 11 - Offside 9/4/2007

RE: Select Under 16

Stu Symonds of georgetown, texas USA asks...

My forward was in the other team's half of field when the ball was struck by my fullback on our side of the mid line. My forward then came back to our side of the mid line and received the pass. Is this offside?

Thanks, Stu

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

If the forward was in an offside position at the moment the ball was played by the fullback and the forward subsequently becomes involved in play or interferes with a defender - then YES he must be punished for being offside. The ball is placed at the spot where the attacker stood at the moment the ball was played by the full back and the restart is an indirect free kick to your opponent.

This point is tricky for some people. The key issue is where was the attacker at the moment the ball was played, not where they received the ball. The act of crossing back over the halfway line does not make a person "onside", remember that.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Stu,
My colleague explains it clear and concise. We must remember that offside is a two part equation! In between the 1st part and the 2nd part much movement and rearranging of positions could occur by the players and the ball. Thus where everyone was at part 1 (positional) can be very different when part 2 (involvement) occurs.

In law 11 it states you can not be offside within your own half actually refers to part 1 being impossible to start the equation thus 2 is never an issue.

So if a player is within his OWN half WHEN part 1 is looked at at the time his team mate plays the ball that onside player can run into an offside position in behind all defenders closer to the opposing goal line and receive that ball free and clear. He exchanged his position AFTER the ball was played in this case so no offside is possible because no positional restriction was in place.

Consider that if he WAS offside positioned initally by being inside the opposition half when the ball was last touched by his team mate then the offside restrictions apply and nothing he does including running back into his own half or having the 2nd last defender closer to the opposing goal line when he receives the ball can save him!

In my opinion offside is a simple concept made hard because we either over think and find complication OR we FORGET who and where they were due to the TIME lag that can occur between part 1 and part 2.

It is true that some offside plays are bang, bang, easy to see, easy to spot. Others with retreating players and passing players at full speed with a deflection or two thrown in an AR must remain FOCUSED and aware of the situational changes that are occurring as he replays that mental image of positional restrictions to consider the eventual involvement issue at a later date and at a different location
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Whether your forward was offside or not depends entirely on where the second to last defender on the opposing team was located in relation to your player at the time the ball was struck by your defender. If your player was in the attacking half, but NOT closer to the goal line than the second to last defender and the ball, then he was not in an offside position, and it doesn't matter where he is when he gets to the ball. If he was behind the opposing teams' second to last defender at the moment the ball was struck, he was in an offside position, and by coming back over the halfway line to play the ball, he has become involved in play and is offside.