Question Number: 23319

Law 11 - Offside 5/17/2010

RE: U-16 Travel Under 17

Catherine of Kearny, NJ USA asks...

This is a State Cup game. Our players are attacking. Everyone is onside when the ball is kicked. The ball is kicked at the goal, the goalie comes out of the goal and tries to grab it, but it bounces off of him due to the force of the kick to one of our attackers, who passes it to a teammate who has continued past the goalie to follow up who then scores. Is this offside?
Thank you.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Catherine
The key determination here is the position of the attacking player who scored when the ball was played to him by his team mate. From your description there are no players in an offside position up until the shot and save by the goalkeeper. The next offside determination is the pass by the attacker to the goalscorer. If the scorer was ahead of the ball when it was played to him then he is in an offside position as he is nearer to his opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent. A player cannot be in an offside position if he is level with or behind the ball. If he is level with or behind the ball before it is played he cannot be in an offside position as offside is determined by the position of both the ball and 2nd last opponent. If he is ahead of the ball before it is played in this sitaution he then has only one opponent namely the goalkeeper between himself and the goal line and that is an offside position.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

'Everyone is onside when the ball is kicked'
Not offside.
'It bounces off [the goalkeeper]'
Deflections don't change the decision on offside position. Not offside.
'One of our attackers, who passes it to a teammate'

This is the moment of truth. Where was the teammate at the time of the pass? If the teammate was closer to the opponent's goal than the ball and the second last defender, the teammate was in offside position. A player in offside position may not touch the ball. Offside. On the other hand, if the teammate was even with the ball or even with the second last defender at the time of the pass, then the player was not in offside position. Good goal.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I had just such a situation in a U12 game this weekend. The Black1 was offside when his teammate Black2 kicked the ball; it deflected off RedGoalkeeper to Black1. Offside. It took my newer AR a moment to process it, but then her flag went up. Good for her. Cease the whooping and hollering by the Black team moms.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

From your description I think it's safe to assume at the moment the ball is passed to the teammate who scored that the teammate was closer to the opponent's goal line then the ball. But you don't tell us anything about the position of the defenders other than the keeper. For the scoring attacker to be in offside position he must be nearer the opponent's goal line than both the ball and the next to last opponent. The next to last ( or last ) opponent may be the keeper but doesn't have to be. In your question, it is clear the attacker is closer to the goal line than the keeper but there could be 2 or 3 or 4 etc. defenders other than the keeper between the attacker and the goal line which would make him onside. If 1 or less than the attacker was in offside position when the ball was played by his teammate and when he touvhed the ball he interfered with play and guilty of an offside offense