Question Number: 23026

Law 11 - Offside 3/28/2010

RE: Select Under 13

Tyge of Chesapeake, virginia USA asks...

1. Green team has a player in an offside position
2. green team makes a pass intercepted by blue team (green team still has player in offside position)
3. Blue team goes to clear out the ball and deflects off another blue team player and lands in front of Green team player in offside position.
4. A/R Signals Offside, Center Ref does not see or hear signal
5. (Offside Position) Green team players shoots and scores
6. Should the goal count?

Player gained advantage by being in the offside position, however did attempt to clear the ball reset the offsides

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If I read your scenario correctly, it sounds like there were two players from Blue who touched the ball before the Green player (who was in an offside position) received it. It would be a rare case where a this could be considered a double-deflection and offside would still count. About the only way I could see it is if the two Blue players were very close together, so the ball just pinballed off both of them almost simultaneously. Mostly I'd see it as a mistake by the first Blue player who kicked the ball so that it bounced off another player on his own team. Unlucky for Blue, lucky for Green, goal counts.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

From your description the blue team gained control of the ball. At that moment, offside was reset and the green team players could be anywhere they wanted. Offside is only judged when a teammate plays the ball. The opponents played the ball and even though the green team player may still have been in an offside position that doesn't matter because it is not an offense to be in offside position. The AR should have kept his flag.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Tyge
The key to all this is control of the ball and whether the Blue team had control of the ball. Being in an offside position is in itself not an offence.
The first question is did the Green player interfere with the Blue oppenent. If the answer to that is No then there is no offside in that element.
The second question is did the kick by the Blue player exert control on the ball. If the answer to that is Yes then there is no offside in that part.
If however the kick by the Blue defender was not control but rather a miskick then the deflection off the second Blue player was definitely not control either so IMO the Green player was offside.
I would have to view the kick to ascertain the level of control. For instance was there a touch before the kick which is control or was the kick a swipe at the ball under pressure that cannoned back of a Blue team mate. There is no control of the ball there and therefore no reset so the Green player gained an advantage by being in an offside position off the original touch by a team mate.