Question Number: 24703

Law 11 - Offside 3/18/2011

RE: rec College

Mike Glennon of Dublin, Dublin Ireland asks...

Offside - Is it still an offside if the defending player miskicks, miscontrols, into the path of a player in an offside position. Again, it is common that a shot that takes deflection and an offside decision is given. But what if the defender miskicks or miscontrols the ball? There was a recent example in an Arsenal-Everton match - the referee played on and a goal was awarded even though Saha was originally in an offside position. Is there a specific rule that includes 'miskick', 'miscontrol'?

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

In order for offside to reset, the opponents must control the ball. It will be up to each referee what that means. One referee may consider a kick that goes awry not control and the next referee will consider it to be control. When in doubt, play in favor of the offense same as the AR is instructed to keep the flag down if there is any doubt.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mike
A player in an offside position must meet one the three conditions to be called offside. They are interfering with play, interfering with an opponent and gaining an advantage by being in that position. So offside has changed fundamentally since 2006 and being in an offside position is in itself not an offence
"Interfering with play" means playing or touching the ball passed or touched by a team-mate "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
"Gaining an advantage by being in that position" means playing a ball that rebounds to him off a goalpost or the crossbar having been in an offside position or playing a ball that rebounds to him off an opponent having been in an offside position.
So a deflection, rebound, miskick/header off an opponent does not reset offside and it is covered under gaining an advantage by being in that position. Offside is only reset when the defending team gains control of the ball and the referee/AR is the sole judge of what is control. Skill levels will play a factor in this judgement by the officials.
In relation to the Saha goal in the Everton v Arsenal match Saha was clearly in an offside position when the ball was played by his team mate. The decision centered around whether the kick by the Arsenal defender was control or not. One of the argument put forward was that the Arsenal player could have moved the ball in the direction he was facing but had chosen otherwise which did not come off. Was that control of the ball? The AR believed that it was 'control' of the ball based on the skill level and he did not call it. The six word phrase "in the opinion of the referee" means so much in situations like this.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

At the level of the players in the Everton v Arsenal match, the issue of control is much tighter than at lower levels of play. In a youth match, it is usually easy to tell if the ball was deflected, miskicked or rebounded to a player in an OSP, which becomes offside if the player in OSP then plays the ball.

It is the referee's opinion, aided by the assistant referee if necessary, which counts on whether or not a play by a defender is considered to be under control or not.