Question Number: 24240

Law 11 - Offside 10/26/2010

RE: Rec

Bill of Palatine, Illinois USA asks...

On a set play, the defending team attempts to perform an offside trap. However the ball is kicked before all the defenders move up to put the attackers in an offside position. An attacker receives the kick, dribbles, then passes to a teammate who scores a goal. I know the ref was correct in not making an offside call off the trap attempt but is it then considered offside when the attacker then passes forward to a teammate?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Bill
The referee has to make an offside judgement call each time the ball is played by a player to a team mate. If the ball is played to a player who was not in an offside position, the moment the ball was played, then that cannot be offside. It makes no difference where he received the ball.
In your scenario the first pass was not to a player in an offside position so that cannot be offside. The second pass is then assessed in the same way. So if the second player is not in an offside position ie he is not nearer to his opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent then that also cannot be offside.
However if the second attacker is ahead of the ball with only the GK between him and the goal line and he touches the ball when it is played to him then it is offside.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Contrary to common belief, it doesn't make any difference which direction the ball is played in; that actually has no mention in Law 11 (for instance, if an attacker passes the ball backwards, for an attacker in front of him to run back for, then he could be guilty of offside assuming all other criteria are met).

So, all that matters in your question is whether the 2nd attacker is in front of his teammate and the ball, and behind the 2nd last line of defence.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

At the time of the pass by the initial attacker to his teammate, where was the teammate in relation to the ball (or for that matter since you don't say, to the position of the last two opponents)?

It doesn't matter which direction the ball is passed. It may be passed forwards sideways, backwards, left, right, etc. If the teammate was in an offside position when the pass was made, he may not become actively involved in play, period. If he was in an onside position, he may participate in play regardless where the ball goes.