Question Number: 22680

Law 11 - Offside 12/29/2009

RE: competitve Adult

Jake of bromley, kent england asks...

two players are in an offside position the ball carrier in front of his team mate knocks the ball forwards for the team mate to run on to is he still offside as the ball was played forward

Answer provided by Referee Tom Stagliano

Jake

Your question confuses me, in that I am not certain how many players are involved in your scenario nor where they are on the field of play (relative to the opponents and the ball) at the moment the ball is last touched by a team mate.

You mention that two players (team mates) are in an offside position, therefore they are in the attacking half of the field, closer to the goal line being attacked than the ball, and do not have two opponents even with them or closer to the goal line being attacked.

Then you state that the ball carrier is ahead of his team mate.

Let us assume that there are only those two team mates in this scenario.

Further, assume that the ball carrier originally received the ball while he was in an onside position.

Then assume that the ball carrier dribbles towards the goal, and dribbles past the 2nd to the last defender, leaving only the goalie to beat.
Then the ball carrier turns 180 degrees, facing away from the goal being attacked, and places his body between the ball and the goal line being attacked (shielding the ball from the goalie). Yes, that player is in an offside Position. He is in the attacking half of the field. He doesn't have two opponents even with him or closer to the goal line he is attacking than him. He is closer to the goal line being attacked than the ball. However, He is the last team mate to touch the ball, and therefore, he has Not committed an offside infraction.

Now, the other player, his team mate, is also in the attacking half of the field, and closer to the goal line under attack than two opponents (or not even with the opponents). Yet, we must still ascertain where this team mate is relative to the Ball. If the team mate is closer to the goal line under attack than the ball, then the team mate is indeed in an offside position. When the ball carrier finally plays the ball and the team mate who was in an offside position goes to the ball, it does Not matter in which direction the offside player is running nor the ball is traveling. If that offside player touches the ball, gains an advantage or interferes with an opponent trying to get to the ball, that player has committed an offside Infraction.

Offside position requires three position judgments:
Position on the field (attacking half of the field),
Position relative to the ball (closer to the goal line under attack than the ball),
Position relative to opponents (not having two opponents even with him or closer to the goal line under attack than him).

Position is judged in That order: Field, Ball and Opponents

A player who is in an offside position at the moment that the ball is last Touched by a team mate, Remains in an offside position until:
A team mate touches the ball again, and the player is now in an onside position,
An opponent Gains Control of the ball,
The ball goes out of play.

Otherwise, if that offside player gains an advantage, he has committed an offside Infraction. Gaining an advantage is in the Opinion of the Referee.

I hope this answers your question, or at least answers a similar question.

All the best.

- Stag

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Jake, judging for penalizing a player for offside begins at the moment the ball was knocked forward. If the player in question was level or behind the ball when it was kicked, he will not be judged offside when he becomes active in playing the ball.
The other two players can be in an offside position and NOT be penalized for it provided they were not active in the play.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jake
A player is in an offside position if he is nearer to his opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent.
In this case if the team mate was behind or level with the ball when it was played forward by his team mate then it is not offside when he plays the ball

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Jake, it sounds like you have a few misconceptions about offside. Here's Law 11:

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Offside Position
It is not an offence in itself to be in an offside position.
A player is in an offside position if:
? he is nearer to his opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent
A player is not in an offside position if:
? he is in his own half of the fi eld of play or
? he is level with the second-last opponent or
? he is level with the last two opponents
Offence
A player in an offside position is only penalised if, at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team, he is, in the opinion of the referee, involved in active play by:
? interfering with play or
? interfering with an opponent or
? gaining an advantage by being in that position
No Offence
There is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from:
? a goal kick
? a throw-in
? a corner kick
Infringements and Sanctions
In the event of an offside offence, the referee awards an indirect free kick to the opposing team to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred (see Law 13 ? Position of Free Kick).
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If the two players in your scenario were the only two players to be considered, it doesn't sound like there was anyone in an offside position. Both players were behind the ball, so both players were onside. Player A kicks the ball to Player B, which is legal. And it doesn't matter which way the ball is kicked, as long as B is behind the ball when A last touches it.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Admittedly I have to guess by your description of the events?

Offside is a criteria based event that is reset upon each touch of the ball by a team mate.
Onside teammates can run into what look like offside positions to play the ball and be fine!
Similarity offside positioned players can run back or have defenders float by into onside looking positions to play the ball and be guilty as hell!

The issues are ONCE restricted the offside player requires one of three things to be able to participate in active play again!
(1)A new touch of the ball by the team mate occurs and he is not offside positioned at that moment!
(2)The opposition regain complete control and possession of the ball thus the ball is no longer last touched by the teammate.
(3)The ball goes out of play! Thus either 1 or 2 is possible! Plus the three offside exempt restarts

While I might remind you that simply being in an offside position is not of its self an offence. If I interpret your situation correctly the two offside players are in fact not really offside if the ball is legally playable? I suspect you mean there are two attackers closer to the opposing goal line than the 2nd last opponent but the BALL is now the deciding factor in gauging offside position. The team mate legally dribbling the ball kicks it forward can his team mate run after it? If there were no restrictions in place for these two prior to this point then as long as the teammate following the other is not ahead of the ball when it is kicked forward he is able to run after it with no problem!

If I missed the mark please restate the situation with clarity!
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

If both players were actually in an offside position when one of them played the ball to the other, the first one was offside when he played the ball, and it doesn't matter where the second was or what he did next, as play should have stopped.

On the other hand, if by in offside position, you meant both players were in the attacking half with the ball and all of the defenders were behind them, your terminology is incorrect.

If they entered the attacking half with the ball in front of them, they were onside. Every touch of the ball thereafter would determine whether the one without the ball was still onside or not, relative to his position either closer to or farther away from the goal line that the ball. The one with the ball was clearly onside (assuming he entered the attacking half behind the ball, or gained the ball in the attacking half while still in an onside position - behind the 2LD and the ball).

Assuming this is the correct interpretation of your question, then the teammate who was passed the ball was still onside, as you state he was behind the teammate who had the ball.