Question Number: 23254

Law 12 - Fouls and Misconduct 5/4/2010

RE: rec/select Under 15

paul m. of ludington, mi mason asks...

This question is a follow up to question 23192

Now looking at that question, what if the goalie came out towards the attacker with the ball and another attacker slipped in behind the keeper and took a pass.
In my mind the person is in a offside position. The defenders are not around and its only the keeper and the other two. Correct me if I am wrong but doesn't the ball carry an imaginary line across it as when the defending team is beaten and only attackers are left. I believe they still have to keep even or behind the ball.
I would have called the player who took the pass behind the goalie offside, because he gained advantage while in an offside position. Someone else told me that once the defense if beat, that's it, no offside exists.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

The front edge of the ball becomes the offside line by which we judge whether an attacking player is in an offside position or not when the ball has passed the second to last defender. Offside position still applies to any attackers not behind the ball. For instance, player A has the ball at his foot and has passed all the defenders except the keeper with player B right at his side. Player B runs forward past the ball toward the goal, and Player A passes him the ball. Player B is offside if he touches the ball or interferes with the keeper or gains an advantage from a rebound. If Player B runs forward but the keeper is not interfered with and Player A shoots and scores, it is a goal.

Remember, Law 11 says in the very first line that it is NOT an offense to be in an offside position. In the circumstance outlined in the former question, Player B is ahead of the ball, and thus in an OSP. But until or unless Player B interferes with play or the keeper or gains an advantage, he cannot be called for offside.

An attacking player who runs in behind the keeper to take the pass from the onside player can only be offside if he was in an OSP at the moment his teammate passed him the ball. If he was in an onside position at the time the pass was made, he can legally play the ball. Shame on the defense for letting him get through unmarked.

Please correct your other referee friend who thinks that once the attackers are past the 2nd last defender that no offside can occur. That is just plain wrong.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Paul, an attacker is eligible to play any ball after the ball is within the possession and control of the defender. Law 11 makes a player ineligible to participate in play if in an offside position WHEN the ball was last touched or played by a teammate.

Gaining an advantage has a specific definition. It requires that an attacker (who was in offside position when the ball was last touched by a teammate) touches the ball after it rebounds off the crossbar or deflects off an opponent. It is not to excuse mistakes by the defense in a controlled play of the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I'm not sure I follow this very well and I know I have no idea what 'once the defense is beat there's no offside' means.
You may be overthinking this. A player is in an offside position when he is nearer the opposing goal line than the next to last opponent and the ball. It's really that simple. If a player is in an offside position at the moment the ball is touched or played by a teammate, he may not participate in play until offside resets. In your scenario, if the attacker is in offside position when the ball is kicked and the ball goes to him and he plays it, he is guilty of an offside offense for interfering with play NOT because he has gained an advantage by being in an offside position. This is important as both FIFA and USSF got tired of referees deciding almost anything constituted an 'advantage'. Because of this they narrowed gaining an advantage to a specific set of circumstances only and referee Wickham lists those. And always remember it is not an offense merely to be in an offside position and offside is judged when the ball is touched or played by a teammate.