Question Number: 23424

Law 11 - Offside 6/5/2010

RE: Under 15

Larry of Danville, CA USA asks...

The attacking team clears the ball and it is heading to the keeper. Another attacking player in an offside position is chasing it down. The keeper (still in the penalty area)kicks the ball, and it deflects off the attacker who then takes control and scores. The keeper would have clearly picked the ball up if the attacker was not so close, but the keeper also clearly kicked the ball and it was not a deflection. Offside?

Same question, but this time the keeper comes out of the penalty area and kicks the ball. It is clear that the keeper only left the penalty area to get to the ball before the attacking player, and also clear that the keeper kicked the ball and it was not a deflection.

Great site. Thanks again for your help.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Referee Larry
This is covered under 'interfering with an opponent' "Interfering with an opponent" means preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent's line of vision or movements or making a gesture or movement which, in the opinion of the referee, deceives or distracts an opponent. In this case the attacker in an offside position may have interfered with the goalkeeper's playing of the ball and his movements and it can be called offside in both situations depending on the judgement of the ref and AR as to whether the attacker has effected play. The position of the goalkeeper is irrelevant. The same would apply if it were an defender.
The attacker in an offside position must wait for the offside to be reset before getting involved in active play and that happens when the opponents gain control of the ball or the offside positions have changed as a result of further play by his/her team mates/opponents placing him/her in an onside position.
From what you desribe it is likely on a one touch clearance under pressure from the PIOP that offside should indeed be called in both situations.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

The closer the player in offside position (PIOP) is to the keeper, the more likely it will be that the PIOP has affected the keeper's ablity to play the ball and should be called offside for interfering with an opponent. But, the offside law is not intended to make up for mistakes in play by the keeper.

The referee must make a judgment about whether the PIOP has done something to affect play. Moving toward the ball is not enough. Any doubts are resolved in favor of not-offside.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The only possibility would be interfering with an opponent. You say the keeper clearly would have picked the ball up if not for the OSP player. How do you know that? Not having been there I can't be certain but the keeper was clearly able to play the ball thus resetting offside. I don't see an infraction here.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

The prudent thing for the AR to do would be to wait, and hold the flag until it was clear the PIOP either was about to touch the ball or was clearly interfering with the keeper's ability to control and play the ball. This would ensure the best result.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 23440

See Question: 23441