Question Number: 16912

Law 11 - Offside 9/26/2007

RE: rec Under 15

Julie of Hinkley, Ca usa asks...

If the ball is defelcted off the goalie to a opponet is the opponet offside? At what point is the opponet consider behind the ball/onside? please explain how the attacker can be onside and able to rebound fairly.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Julie offside is a two part event. The first part is being in an offside position and once a player is established there at a specific point in time he can no longer participate in play. The next event is did the player participate in play. If so that is an offence.

The specific point in time is when a team mate of the player touches or plays the ball. What is done is the mind takes a picture of all the attackers beyond the ball and the last but one opponent or the last two opponents and uses it as a reference for the guys who can't get involved in play until three things happen:

The ball is again touched or played by one of his side AND he has taken up a position on the field that is no longer offside.

The defence has controlled the ball.

The ball is no longer in play.

So, if the attacker was in an offside position when his team mate last touched the ball it matters not whether he is in an offside position when the ball gets to him, he can't get involved. Remember offside position and offside offence are two different things.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Julie,
nearly a third of our responses tend to deal with offside to some degree! Although I try to maintain offside is a simple premise it is painfully obvious that for a simple thing a lot of thought seems to go into figuring it out. I maintain that stems from over thinking and looking to find more than what the laws actually state!

You need to make a leap that a DEFLECTION of a ball off an opponent, goal post, crossbar, corner flag or even off the body of the referee changes nothing regarding offside.

What was in effect remains in effect!

Only if a deflection of the ball occurs off a TEAMMATE do we have something different to consider with offside. Each touch of the ball by a teammate resets offside back to a startup consideration for that team only.

Can you wrap your head around this premise?
A deflection of the ball does not change what was in effect but it still counts as a touch by a teammate, thus both teams could have offside restricted players at the same time!

Offside is a two part equation where the referee or AR will freeze frame the **POSITION** of the players when a ball is actually PHYSICALLY touched by a team mate on the field. In this it matters not if that touch was accidental or uncontrolled as in a deflection or a deliberate skilled pass or shot. Offside position is evaluated for the team that touched that ball. That team has offside positioned players ( OSPP) then those OSPP are restricted from participating until one of three things occur!

(1)The opponents maintain control and obtain uncontested ball possession!
(the ball is no longer last touched by the teammate once the opposition have the ball COMPLETELY within their control)

(2)The ball goes out of play!
(a restart could be offside exempt or provide an opponent with possession or be a new last touch of the ball by a team mate)

(3) A NEW touch of the ball by a teammate occurs with the former OSPP no longer in an offside position!
(new touch resets offside back to evaluate the possible new positions because players will move as the ball moves and new positions will be in effect when the ball is next played by a teammate)

You need to look at law 11 and read the first part of law it is NOT an offence by itself to be offside positioned!
Remember offside requires TWO parts the second part after position is **INVOLVEMENT** So how does an OSPP go from no big deal of position into an indfk restart and infringement?
The OSPP must do something that affects the play!
It could be as simple as standing in the wrong spot and blocking the keeper from seeing an incoming shot.
It could be running after a ball and playing it before any onside teammates in the area.
AND here is the one you have trouble with he can GAIN an advantage by being in a good spot to play a rebound!

You need to focus on a few pertinent realities!
Once the offside position is established while of it self not a reason to stop play it does restrict those players from trying to involve themselves.

This restriction CAN NOT be lifted by anything the OSPP does.

There will be ball movement (this includes ANY deflection) and players from both teams switching places on the field because the TIME when offside POSITION is FIRST established and when the offside INVOLVEMENT could occur many seconds apart.

Lets say the OSPP is standing all alone on the right edge of the 6 yard goal area, the second last opponent is challenging a teammate of the OSPP at 12 yards to the left side of the goal. Now the keeper is not screened so the OSPP is not interfering with an opponent , the OSPP does not play the ball so he is not interfering with play.

Now when the shot is taken the ball is deflected off the leg of the defender into the right corner of the post and crossbar and rebounds up and out very high into the air. While this is occuring two more defenders are charging back rushing past the OSPP player who is standing near the 6 yard goal area but he starts to back up so he can head this high ball back towards goal. However when he heads the ball some 10 yards away from goal with at least three opponents between him and the goal the AR has a flag up and the referee blows for an offside BECAUSE?
The OSSP has gained an advantage by forgetting that he is STILL restricted from playing the ball because since the shot was taken he was offside positioned and NOTHING has occurred in the mean time to change his restricted status.

You ask, "How the attacker can be onside and able to rebound fairly?
You must understand that ANY onside player can play any rebound because no restriction is placed on them.

If you refer back to the OSSP player at the 6 yards and the teammate shoots from 12 yards where the ball deflects off the 2nd last opponent into the post crossbar and rebounds up and out.

Imagine either the shooter or any onside teammate rushes forward to head that ball BEFORE the OSPP has any chance to participate. Lets say they beat the two rushing back defenders to the ball and the other defender who deflected the original shot is still lying on the ground at 12 yards so ONLY the keeper is before them. This might look like is an offside position in that but one opponent is closer to the goal line but they were NOT offside positioned WHEN the ball was played by the teammate so they are not restricted from playing the ball while in an offside position that occurs AFTER!

Clear as Mud?
Cheers