Question Number: 17596

Law 11 - Offside 10/30/2007

RE: competitve High School

Tony Butler of Sapulpa, Ok USA asks...

Offside - a player in his attacking half of the field is clearly in the offside position, recovering from a counter from the opposing team. The opposing team defense tries to switch the field and mis-kicks the ball so that it goes directly to the player in the offside position - should this be interpreted as gaining an advantage by being in the offside position and should subsequently be penalized? I called offside, awarded an indirect free kick going the other way - not one, but both coaches (as well as many parents) gave me grief. offside or no?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Tony,
Tony ask yourself, WHO LAST PLAYED the ball with control?
I will assume the opposition had the ball under controlled possession and had a few touches of the ball prior to miss kicking the ball? If the opposing team had the ball in a controlled possession and miss kicked it to the offside positioned attacker. This is a gift not necessarily wrapped and under the Christmas tree but a very nice gift all the same.

Reread the first part of law 11
IT is NOT an offence to be in an offside position!

Gaining an advantage has the portion about a rebound off an opponent as not resetting the offside restriction because a rebound changes nothing, what was in effect remains in effect!

You must first be evaluated as being offside positioned when a TEAM MATE last touches/plays the ball.

Here the rebound of the ball off the opponent does not change the fact the attacker was not evaluated for offside position because his team-mate was NOT the last player playing the ball. It was played from an opponent who was in controlled possession but made a mistake. He gave the attacker what should have been a free ride in on his goal
I am surprised grief was all you got!
Very definitely NOT offside!

Keep in mind that offside restrictions are reset by one of three things occurring.

ONE
The one obvious here is the opposition regains UNCONTESTED control and possession of the ball. Thus a teammate is no longer judged as having the last touch/play of the ball!
TWO
The ball goes out of play either into touch or a foul or a stoppage of some sort> While the offside position might still exist, there are three stoppages where offside is exempt. 50% of the stoppages are next played by an opponent. And as in part three your team mate makes a new touch on the ball thus you are revaluated on offside position criteria.
Three
When your team mate next touches the ball you are no longer in an offside position either by being farther away from the opposing goal line than the ball or 2nd last opponent or within your own half
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

NO!!!!!!!!! Tony, when is offside judged? AT the moment the ball is played or touched by a TEAMMATE. The ball is clearly played here by an opponent so you shouldn't even worry about the player's position as there can be no offside when the ball is played by an opponent.

Answer provided by Referee Steve Montanino

Sorry Tony,

You got this one wrong. Don't fret too much, it happens and you have to live with that. But, now you have learned and I trust that you will not make this same mistake again. The other panelists here have outlined precisely why your decision was wrong so I won't pile on, just I might advice reviewing law 11.