Question Number: 16848

Law 11 - Offside 9/23/2007

RE: Select Under 14

Amy C ollins of Washington, Indiana USA asks...

A player has the ball, a teamate is offsides. The player with the ball takes a shot, it hits the post and comes back to the player that was offsides, he is not in the offsides positon when he receives the rebound. Should offsides be called?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Amy,
it always seems to confuse most people when a player in an offside position (after the ball is touched or played by the teammate) the OSPP (offside positioned player) ALTERS his position or has others alter theirs so that when he recieves a ball he looks onside.

Consider these facts, ball movement or line of flight (includes deflections) and time it takes a ball to get from point a to b!
All players on the pitch could be moving about so things look different when a ball is next played.

It is important to remember that a DEFLECTION of the ball off an opponent or the referee and possibly the ARs, any of the corner posts or the crossbar or either goal posts will not affect offside restrictions ALREADY in place!

The RESTRICTION from involvement does NOT go away after a deflection.

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

A player cannot put himself back onside. It requires the touch of the ball again by a teammate or the control and distribution of the ball by a defender to reset his position - or if the ball leaves the field for a restart or the referee stops play, he can return to an onside position. Since the ball only touched the goalpost, there is no intervening touch or control or stoppage to return him to an onside playing position. Thus, when he touches the ball or goes to play the ball he will be called for offside no matter where he has moved to in the intervening moments between the time his teammate kicked the ball and the time the ball reached his area of play.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

A player in an offside position at the time the ball is last touched by a colleague may not involve himself in play without penalty until the ball is no longer in play, the opponents gain control of the ball or he has attained a position that is not offside AND a colleague touches the ball again. In the case you ask about the offside player has gained advantage from his offside position. Stop play for an offside offence and restart indirect at the point he was when his team mate touched the ball.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hi Amy. It doesn't matter where the player was when he received the ball only where he was when the shot was taken. In this case he was in offside position when the shot was taken and may not participate in play until offside resets. This is the classic example of a player in offside position gaining an advantage by being in that position. He is guilty of an offside offence and an indirect free kick is awarded to the opponents.