Question Number: 35741

Law 11 - Offside 10/6/2024

RE: Competitive Adult

Peter Babbage of Hjorring , Denmark asks...

I may have asked this question before ( not sure) but if a player in an offside position attempts to score but misses the ball should he be penalised?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

HI Peter,

The PIOP can not physically make contact with the ball or interfere with any opponent causing them to be unable to challenge for the ball or affect play. Essentially a PIOP can not be involved in an act of play that creates a different outcome than if he was not there in the first place.

Even just standing doing nothing, even trying to get out of the way, just by being in an offside position thus restricted can be sufficient interference (blocking a run or line of sight for example) to be involved and an INDFK awarded.

Even if the PIOP was standing all alone in by the goal no defender within miles and sought to get out of the way of an incoming the ball, that physically brushed his hair or glanced off shin and goes in, that goal will not count and an INDFK awarded.

Even if he is not looking and the ball accidently deflects into him IF he is still restricted as a PIOP again an INDFK awarded.

NOW even if a PIOP was running at top speed, dove and deliberately tried to poke the ball home with a bizarre slide or a frenzied goofy looking kick & it was a swing & a miss, even by a whisker as long as NO CONTACT with the ball occurs, as long as NO defender was interfered with or impacted in an unfair way during his attempt to score!

The fact he took a swipe and missed, be the ball bounced over his foot, he was inches away late , (if that is CLEARLY visible to the CR or AR ) his failed attempt to participate CHANGED nothing! Thus as long as that ball passes under the crossbar between the posts and travels 100% completely over the goal line, the goal would count! Restart kick off!

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Peter
In Law 11 under interfering with an opponent there are four conditions in which offside can be called.
They are
# preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or
# challenging an opponent for the ball or
# clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent or
# making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball.

In your example condition 3 would apply in that if the referee deems that the action impacted on an opponent it is called offside.

Have a look at this video

https://youtu.be/0p41ZtpAh0s?si=XCQCuC3bgVAV4Ssh

There is a Red player clearly in an offside position at the moment of the cross who attempts to play the ball yet makes no contact and the ball goes to a Red player who was onside and scores.
The onfield decision was a goal yet when reviewed by the EPL Referee body it deemed that it should have been called offside as the missed attempt by the PIOP impacted on the goalkeeper and therefore met the interfering with an opponent condition of attempting to play the ball which impacts on an opponent.
Had the PIOP not been there it is likely the goalkeeper would have moved more to his left and quicker towards the scorer’s play of the ball.

So it is a judgement call and each situation will be different. Had the example shown happened well away from goal there would be no immediate impact on an opponent in that case the goalkeeper so offside would not be called.