Question Number: 17914

Law 11 - Offside 11/14/2007

RE: Select, Copetitive

Mark of Springfield, VA USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 17875

Did I miss something here in the original question [17875]. Quote "An attacking team on a throw in, throws the ball to the attacker who is in an offside position." Since it is a throw in, there should not be an offside consideration as there is no offside on a throw in. Once the thrower's teammate plays the ball, then offside position becomes a consideration but not before. The question stated that it was thrown to a teammate but was deflected by a defender. Irrelevant as I understand it. The ball was thrown to a teammate and it didn't matter where that teammate was on the field. Good for the mate for scoring the goal. Again, did I miss something?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Nope, you didn't miss anything. And that's what we told the original correspondent. The deflection by the opponent didn't change a thing.

Answer provided by Referee Chuck Fleischer

Could have missed this: the question equates offside position and offside offence. You might be doing the same thing. What the referee needs to understand is there can be no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick or a throw-in or a corner kick. It is entirely possible for there to be a player in an offside position on those three restarts but Law 11 also states it is not an offence in itself to be in an offside position.

From these three restarts of play the referee must not consider an offside offence until the ball touches a teammate of the offside positioned player, after that we apply the three ways of committing an offside offence.

Regards,