Question Number: 12415

Law 6 - Assistant Referee 3/22/2006

RE: Club AR Adult

Pat Titzer of Centennial, CO USA asks...

Here is another AR question. Thanks for answering the last.

This happens quite often with younger and less aggressive players. A player is in an offside position and a ball is kicked by a teammate such that the player has to run back past the defenders (toward his own goal) to get it. How do you decide if the OPP has gained an advantage by being offside. Sometimes the OPP player has to run way back to get the ball often while the defenders seem to just stand there. It doesn't seem like the OPP really gained an advantage. There seems to be a great deal of gray area here when making the call. Do you have a rule of thumb?

Thanks again,

Pat

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

First, try to get away from thinking about the "gains an advantage" phrase in offside and concentrate on interfers with play or an opponent. Gains advantage usually applies to the specific instance where a player standing in offside position near the goal has the ball rebound to him from a shot on goal either off the keeper or the posts/crossbar. I think it'll be helpful for your understanding of offside if you do this. A player in offside position when the ball is played or touched by a teammate may NOT put himself onside. So, he may NOT come back and get the ball. If he does, he has interferred with play. As Ref Marco points out, there is no grey area. He simply may not participate in play if he was in offside position at time of initial play or touch by teammate. Now, once another team mate plays or touches the ball or an opponent gains control (or,of course, if ball goes out of play), offside resets.