Question Number: 23162

Law 11 - Offside 4/22/2010

RE: Adult

denise tisdale of Meriden, West Midlands UK asks...

An onside player shoots at goal and the ball is punched away by the goalkeeper. The same player by then in an offside position strikes the ball again on the rebound from the goalkeeper and scores. Is this offside?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Denise
This is most defintely not offside. The player has in essence played the ball to himself via the rebound off the goalkeeper so it cannot be offside. Even if it came of the frame of the goal it would still not be offside as there is only one attacker involved.
It could only be offside if the ball went to a team mate of the attacker who was standing in an offside position when the shot was taken. The offside positioned player at the time of the shot then 'gained an advantage by being in an offside position'.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Offside position is only determined when the attacker's teammate touches the ball. Since there was no intervening teammate touch, the attacker's new position is immaterial as far as offside is concerned. No call.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

If he was onside when he hit the ball originally, he stays onside until a teammate makes a play on the ball. At that moment, we would reassess his position as onside or offside.

In this case, the onside attacker can play the ball again, since it was legally played by him in the first instance.

Referees are often so focused on catching an offside infraction, they forget to think about who originally kicked the ball. My advice to them: Don't make trouble where there isn't any!