Question Number: 22767

Law 11 - Offside 1/29/2010

RE: Competative Under 19

Richard Rose of Knoxville, Tennessee USA asks...

This occurred while I was center - Division 1 State League U19Boys:
Blue player A is in offside position. Ball is played forward by another Blue player. White defender B leaps up to head the ball and does so, flicking it back toward his own keeper (and Blue player A). Blue player A gains control, shoots and scores.
It appeared to me that White defender B played the ball deliberately; that it was not a carom off of his head. I awarded the goal.
Did I do right?

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Headers present a challenge for the referee's decision on offside.

The referee must decide if the defender controlled the ball in flicking it back to the keeper or simply deflected it. The skill level of the players will affect the decision. Did the ball go exactly where the defender intended (but the defender unwisely ignored the presence of the player in offside position)? Not offside. At many levels of play, every header is only a deflection. Offside.

It is your judgment that matters. If you focused on control when deciding that the white defender played the ball deliberately, you made the correct call.

Answer provided by Referee Tom Stagliano

Referee Rose

For the offside position to be ignored, the opposing player (defender) needs to Control the Ball and make a Play with the ball.

If you believe, based upon your observations of that player and his team mates earlier in that game, on that day, on that field, and with those weather conditions, that his header demonstrated control and a play of the ball to that spot on the field, then you made the correct decision.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Whether or not the defender played the ball deliberately is irrelevant, as he can intend to play the ball but miscontrol it.

Control is the key issue - did the defender intend to send the ball in the direction it moved, or not? That's what determines whether the offside is nullified or not.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Rose
Control is the key word here. If White defender B had sufficient time and the header was in the controlled category then that is a reset of the offside and the goal should stand. Deliberately playing the ball is irrelevant as miscontrol does not reset the offside.
In general though headers while in the air are rarely controlled enough to reset offside and many colleagues will go with the offside.