Question Number: 23949

Law 11 - Offside 9/17/2010

RE: rec/sel/comp Under 18

tristen juergens of san jose, ca usa asks...

Law 11

Attacker is in offside position behind SLD when ball is played to him by teammate. SLD intercepts pass but has a semi poor first touch in effort to control/possess ball enabling attacker to touch ball. Is this offside?

If attacker is unable to touch ball but makes physical contact with defending player is this offside for interfering with play?

Looking for opinion on what constitutes possession/control by defending player rather than rebound/deflection play.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Tristen
A semi poor first touch is not control/possession and the touch by the attacker who is an offside position is penalised as offside.
Physical touch by a player who is in an offside position is also penalised for offside as interfering with an opponent.
Control for me is where the player touches the ball and prepares it for a subsequent touch.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

It sounds to me as if the second to last opponent may have been interfered with by the attacker in the offside position. If so, then it was offside.

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Tristen, your first question where a defender had 'semi' control of the ball is answered by what the referee saw. If he decides that the defender did NOT have control of the ball, then it is considered as a deflection, offside. But if the ref figures he did have control and then he muffed it, then it is not a deflection, not offside. So, the referee is the judge of it. From what I understand in your example, it was a deflection and the attacker should be penalized for being in an offside position.
Your second question is much easier to answer. The Laws cover this situation and the attcker should be penalized for offside because he interfered with play.