Question Number: 24681

Law 11 - Offside 3/12/2011

RE: rec and academy Under 11

mike of granbury, tx usa asks...

When the goaly from team a picks up the ball and drop kicks it out to the field, does off sides count for team a on team b side of the field. We had a their goaly kick the ball past mid field, they had three players off sides. They got the ball and scored. The ball went over all of our players heads and their players were at least 10 yards off sides. The ref did not call off sides and counted the score. Does off sides count when the goaly picks up and kicks the ball?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mike
Offside counts when the ball is in play and the ball is in play on a punt by the goalkeeper. It is the same as any other open play.
A player cannot be offside from the three restarts where the ball has left the field of play namely a goal kick, a throw in and a corner kick.
I would make the point that the position of players is determined for offside at the moment the ball is played/touched by a team mate in this case the punt. As the ball has to travel a distance from a punt players can have changed position considerably by the time it has reached the player who touches the ball. In addition you state that the team had three players in offside position. It is not an offence to be in an offside position and the one player who plays the ball, unless a team mate in an offside position interferes with an opponent, is the player that when he touches the ball is the player that is considered for offside. It is easily possible that a team could have numerous players 10 yards beyond the 2nd last defender in an offside position and the one player that touches the ball was in an onside position when the ball was played and that is not offside.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Coach Mike, make sure your League doesn't have a modification of Law 11 (which is not allowed by FIFA or USSF but Leagues tend to do whatever they want). Per the Laws Of The Game, offside does not apply regardless of position if the ball is received directly from a goal kick, corner kick, or throw in. In your case, this is a ball in play and offside should apply but I have heard of Leagues considering a keeper punt to be considered as a goal kick for offside purposes at lower age groups.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Offside will apply if the keeper is punting the ball. The question is where where his teammates at the moment the ball left his foot?

If they were still in their own half but running to get the ball, they are onside - even if by the time they reach the ball they have crossed over into the opponent's half.

If they were in the opponent's half when the ball was kicked, offside will apply and if one of them touches the ball the flag should go up.

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See Question: 27963