Question Number: 24590

Law 11 - Offside 2/16/2011

RE: Intermediate Under 12

Phil Rabichow of Tarzana, CA United States asks...

I have an offside question to see if I understand the rule correctly.

It is said that there can be no offside infringement on a throw-in, goal kick, or corner kick. This sometimes causes confusion because the ball may touch or be played by any number of defenders (or bounce off a goal post) before an attacker touches the ball; yet there still is no offside infringement.

Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that on a throw-in, goal kick, or corner kick, the first attacker who touches the ball cannot be called for offside infringement?

I'm not trying to change the rules, of course. I'm just wondering if that would be more accurate.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Phil
A player in an offside position is only penalised if, at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team excluding any restart due to the ball leaving the field of play. So, yes, the first player who touches the ball after a throw in, goal kick or corner kick restart from a team mate cannot be called offside. The issue is not accuracy with the law but rather poor application of Law 11 or in many cases, with players/coaches showing a lack of knowledge of the Law.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

From Law 11: 'A player in an offside position is only penalised if, at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team, he is, ...'
And: 'There is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from: a goal kick, a throw-in, a corner kick'

When these are taken together, the concept is quite clear.

I understand that some people are confused by that word 'directly' in relation to receiving the ball from a goal kick etc. If it bounced off an opponent, it wasn't direct, was it? No, but then go back a paragraph to '... touches or is played by one of his team ...'

The word 'directly' is there to clarify that if the ball is thrown from Red1 to Red2 who kicks it to Red3, Red 3 did not receive it directly from the throw-in, so offside is again a consideration.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Phil, that's EXACTLY what Law 11 says. It doesn't say there can be no offside on a corner kick after 2 or 3 or 4 players touch the ball. Read and re-read Law 11. Here's what it says:

There is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from:
? a goal kick
? a throw-in
? a corner kick

The most important word here is DIRECTLY. If the ball touches a teammate along the way, offside resets. If on a corner kick, the ball caroms off a post, deflects off an opponent, and is touched by a teammate; offside resets. If the ball touches an opponent, it doesn't matter because when is offside judged? When the ball is played or touched by a TEAMMATE.

So, you are correct that the ball could be played/touched by several defenders (more accurately opponents) but that's also true anytime the ball is played. Touches by opponents don't mean anything when offside is considered. CONTROL by an opponent resets offside. If a player is onside when the ball is played by one of his team, it doesn't matter if the ball is touched by any number of opponents, he still may play the ball. Likewise, if he is in an offside position when the ball is played/touched by a teammate, even if the ball is touches by one or more opponents, he may not participate in play until offside resets.

What Law 11 is telling us is if a player is in an offside position on a throw-in, goal kick, or corner kick; and he receives the ball before it is touched by a teammate, there is no offside offense. Any other time, there would be an offside offense