Question Number: 22937

Law 11 - Offside 3/13/2010

Paul of Atlanta, Ga USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 22916

The scenario was given that an onside player on one team passes the ball towards a team mate that is in an offside position. Before the ball reaches that team mate, the ball is handled by a player on the defensive team, and then proceeds to go to the previously offside positioned attacker.
The question was what is the restart?
Assuming the ball was DELIBERATELY handled, wouldn't the best solution be to 'play on'?

The attacker in the previously offside position received the ball deliberately last played deliberately by the opposing team, therefore can not be called offside.
Why would we call the ball back for deliberately handling if the attacking team had the advantage, being already past all but one other defender?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Paul
Being in an offside position is not an offence. For the player in an offside position to be penalised for the offence he has to meet other conditions such as interfering with play, interfering with an opponent or gaining an advantage by being in that position.
The answer given was on the assumption that the player in the offside position did not meet any of those conditions before the deliberate handling and so the only offence is the deliberate handling of the ball.
Now the next element is whether the referee can play advantage on a deliberate handling of the ball in this situation. The referee is entitled to play advantage. However the referee knows that if he allows advantage in this case the moment the player in the offside position touches the ball he will be called offside. So where is the advantage in that? That is based on the assumption that the deliberate handling, even though illegal, was not control and when the ball 'rebounds' to the player in the offside position he would still meet the offside condition by gaining an advantage by being in that position. In that situation the referee has to go with the 1st offence which is the deliberate handling.
Also I believe that the referee has to manage match control issues and it would pose problems for the referee if he where to ignore a deliberate handling of the ball and a player in an offside position being involved in active play on a 'rebound' in the same scenario. Also I believe that the defence will be none too pleased about the deliberate handling call based on the argument that the ball was going to an opponent in an offside position. The advice to that is not to commit the handling offence and allow the offside to be called plus it is not an offence to be in an offside position.
This is what USSF has to say
Under current guidance for deciding if an attacker in an offside position has interfered with play, we look to whether or not the attacker makes contact with the ball (not counting the possibility that the attacker?s actions might be considered to have interfered with an opponent). We must remember that, despite the intentions of the teammate and despite how clearly the ball is ?going to? the attacker, that attacker could still decide not to interfere with play by avoiding all contact with the ball. That ?pass to the attacker? by itself does not constitute interfering with play. Consequently, based solely on that ?pass to the attacker,? the AR should not raise the flag for an offside violation, so we are left with the handling offense ? direct free kick (or penalty kick if the handling occurred in the defender?s penalty area). The referee should still caution the defender for the tactical foul. If the AR does mistakenly raise the flag based solely on the pass, the referee should wave it down and proceed as indicated to deal with the handling."

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

If deliberate handling were the same thing as possession and control, then the referee would have the potential to apply advantage. But, using the arm to deflect the ball is still a deflection and does not reset offside position. Call the handling in most circumstances..

Answer provided by Referee MrRef

Paul,

If the defender deliberately handles the ball, stopping its' passage, the offside equation of position plus involvement has not been completed, so we have a DFK/PK situation with a UB caution for the defender.

If the ball, even though deliberately handled, still goes on to an attacker in an offside position, we still have a DFK/PK offense and caution for the defender, but there can be no advantage. Why? Because advantage is given in situations where the attacker is fouled to prevent them retaining possession. If the ball had gone through uninterrupted, the possession could not be maintained, because that attacker would now be offside for interfering with play or with an opponent.

Note that a deliberately handled ball is always a DFK/PK offense. A mistimed or hit kick or header is never an offense, which is hugely different from a DFK offense that occurs because a defender is trying, successfully or unsuccessfully to prevent the ball from going through. Advantage can't be allowed here, as noted above. The only solution logically, and according to USSF's stated policy (see the June 2009 postings at USSF's AskASoccerReferee.com) is to call the handling, restart with a DFK/PK and give the caution for UB.

Obviously, if the deliberately handled ball now goes to an attacker who was onside at the time of the kick, there aren't any issues at all, and advantage may be given.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

The fact that the ball has been deliberately handled does not nullify the potential for offside, in the same way that a defender who deliberately kicks the ball, but doesn't have control, doesn't nullify the offside.

Additionally, a referee cannot permit a team to commit an offence in order to claim advantage from an opposing team's infringement.

Assuming the attacker in the offside position hasn't interfered with play or an opponent at the time of, or before, the handling, the referee should stop play for the deliberate handling and award a free kick to the attacking team, with a possible caution for the defender (even though there was no real attacking opportunity, we can still consider that his intent was to break up an attack and punish him for that).

If the players argue, simply say that the deliberate handling occurred before the offside infringement.

Of course, if the handling was accidental then this all becomes moot, as the offside infringement is what will be penalised.