Question Number: 17695

Law 11 - Offside 11/5/2007

RE: rec Under 15

Sam of sunnyvale, ca usa asks...

Ref Chuck Fleischer explains offside:

1. Is the player in the attacking half of the field?
2. Is the player nearer the goal line than the ball?
3. Is the player nearer the goal line than the last but one opponent or the last two opponents?

So if two players from team A are attacking and player A-1 has the ball and when he got the ball wasn't in an offside position, player A-2 is to the left of A-1 and behind A-1 by about 20 degrees, player B-1 is behind A-2. The B-GK is in front of A-1.

If player A-1 then passes the ball to A-2, is A-2 considered to be in an offside position? From Ref Chuck's explanation, the answer is NO because player A-2 was NOT nearer to the goal line than the ball because the ball was played backwards.

Can you please confirm my understanding, or elaborate on what is meant by "nearer to the goal line than the ball".

thanks!

Sam

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

You got it Sam. If the ball is closer to the goal line than the player, when his teammate last touches it, he is not in an offside position. No offside position, no offside infraction. Simple, isn't it?

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

The cool thing about the little paper on the front page is that it sorts out offside in every case. Your situation places an attacker with the ball nearer the goal line than his team mate so the answer to question 1. is NO. The interrogation stops there and play continues until the next touch by the attack.

Note: the direction the ball is played has no bearing on the offside decision, the only consideration is the first three questions. If any are answered NO then there is no offside position. It is really as simple as that.

Regards,

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

I love simple! IF only it could be that way in the minds of the parents, coaches and players who don't get it. Or is that a case of simple minds? Oops.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Well done! You have got to be nearer the opponents goal than BOTH the ball and the next to last opponent to be in offside position. Even referees forget about the ball.