Question Number: 17180

Law 11 - Offside 10/8/2007

RE: Competitve, High School, Olympic Development College

Xander Peterson of Aptos, CA 95003 asks...

Hello, I'm a retired referee of about 5 years now. I was having a discussion about offsides with one of my friends and I realize that I forgot two specific situations dealing with offsides:

1) There are two offenders in the offside position, with the offender closest to the goal in position of the ball. The offender in possession of the ball passes it *backwards* to his fellow offsides offender. Is this considered an offside offense? The player who received the ball received it while in an offside position, but he received it from a pass backwards instead of forwards. Is this an offside offense?

2) The ball is kicked at the goal and ricochets off of the goal post (or goalie). The ball is first played by a player who, at the point when the ball was first kicked, was in an offsides position. Is that an offside offense?

I argued the answer was "Yes, it is an offside offense" to both situations, though I can't exactly remember. Thanks for your help!

-Xander

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

1) I believe you have forgotten the first part of offside position - in front of the ball. If the ball was passed backwards, wasn't the player behind the ball? If that was true, there was no offside position, so there could be no offside offense. Remember though that the direction the ball is played is not the deciding factor - it is the position of the player relative to the ball at the time the last touch by a teammate is made.

2) You have described the classic example of a player gaining advantage having been in an offside position. Once offside positioned, you cannot participate in play until you are not in an offside position when your teammate next touches the ball, if the opponents gain control of the ball, or if the ball goes out of play. On a rebound or deflection like this, none of those things have happened.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

1. If the ball goes "backwards" how can this other player be offside? You have to be nearer the goal than BOTH the next to last opponent AND the BALL. 2. ABsolutely YES> This is the classic example of gaining an advantage by being in offside position when the ball is played by a teammate.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

I just want to point out that you can pass a ball away from the opposing goal and still have a team mate offside if he was positioned so in front but ran back to get to the ball! The travel direction of the ball is not crucial to the offside equation even if it is obvious no determination is required.

If, as my colleagues have clearly pointed out he was farther away from the opposing goal line then the ball when his team mates drops back the pass he is in no way quilty of an offside.

The last clause of decision 3 law 11 deals with gaining an advantage any DEFLECTION of the ball be it off a post, crossbar, opponent, corner post or even the referee will not alter the offside positional evaluation determined at the last team mate's touch. The restriction remains and an INDFK out for involvement!
Cheers