Question Number: 22628

Law 11 - Offside 12/9/2009

RE: Rec Under 13

Mark of LA, CA USA asks...

Offside question:

Two attackers were on their side of the mid-field line when the center defender slipped and lost the ball to Attacker A.

With no remaining defenders except the goalie between the mid-line and the defender's goal, Attacker A and Attacker B ran shoulder to shoulder to the 18-meter line, with Attacker A dribbling the ball. Attacker A then stopped running and passed the ball sideways to Attacker B, who scored the shot past the goalkeeper.

The defender's sideline went crazy asking for an offside call, claiming the pass was backwards (it wasn't) and even if sideways it violated the second-to-last opponent requirement.

I ruled it a goal, noting that as long as both attackers were in an onside position when the ball was initially played by Attacker A, nothing had changed with the pass.

Who is correct?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

What do the laws of the game say?

-A player is in an offside position if he is nearer to his opponent's goal line than both the ball and the second last defender

If those two players are level at the moment the ball is passed, then it sounds like the ball is going to be in front of Attack B. Thus, no offside.

If, however, any part of his body that's able to play the ball is in front of the ball, then hs is in an offside position.

Additionally, the direction the ball is played in has absolutely no relevance to offside.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

As long as the ball stayed in front of Attacker B, he remained onside. He was onside when he and his teammate A (with the ball) entered the attacking half, and since there were no other defenders besides the goalkeeper, the offside line became the ball.

Unless or until Attacker B was in front of the ball when it was last touched or played by his teammate, then he was onside and the goal should count.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Player A has control and possession of the ball inside the opposition's half.

Player B is evaluated for offside position at EVERY touch of the ball as Player A dribbles down the field!

Each time player A touches the ball, because there is no 2nd last opponent to consider it is the BALL LOCATION that becomes that imaginary offside 10 inch line you often see drawn across the TV field from touchline to touchline!

As long as Player B is not involved in play he could be marginally closer to the opposing goal line than the ball and thus being offside positioned would not be an issue (it is not an offence to be in an offside position) UNTIL that FINAL cross pass as a LAST touch of the ball by player A !

Then as the new but important next phase of dynamic play is looked at from offside criteria because player B will NOW become involved in active play he is held accountable for his position on the field relative to the ball's location at that critical passing moment.

I will say this, when two team mates are running in the position you detail, the one without the ball must trail slightly behind to avoid having a leg or be seen leaning ahead of the ball at that critical passing moment because the player with the ball tends to stop or slow to make the pass the other player could be a bit closer to the opposing goal line than the ball and as such is restricted from involvement!

I stress however it is the BALL location not player's A location that we look at when determining player's B eligibility. If player A passes with his forward leg extended and the ball being about ten inches wide off his toe player B could appear slightly ahead of player A via torso etc? but still NOT be ahead of the ball!

You ask who is correct.
As referee it was your match, your decision!
If you allowed the goal then there was no offside.

The direction of the pass is irrelevant! A backward pass can have offside positioned players retreat to get to the ball and the offside criteria are met!
Square or forward passes onside players can easily run into what looks like an offside position but be fine

What is relevant?
FREEZE FRAME the final touch pass moment!
Where was player B when player A passed the ball over to him?
If he was onside, no playable body parts closer to the opposing goal line than the ball , then the goal was correct.
If he had playable body parts closer to the opposing goal line than the ball then the correct call would be INDFK out offside!

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mark
The key here is the position of Attacker B when the ball was played by Attacker A. If Attacker B was behind the ball when it was played he cannot be in an offside position. The direction of the pass is irrelevant in considering offside.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hi Mark, I re-read your post and want to make certain you are clear about something: if the pass was backwards and the second attacker was behind the ball when the pass was made, there can be no offside. I sense that you are thinking that since the attackers were in their own half when they got the ball they remained onside. In your example there is no second to last defender to concern yourself with. Remember that offside position is when an attacker in the attacking half of the field is nearer the opposing goal line than the next to last opponent AND the BALL.