Question Number: 24850

Law 11 - Offside 4/24/2011

RE: COMPETITIVE RECREATIONAL Adult

joseph tripolone of marrickville, NSW Australia asks...

Two players beat the offside trap and one has the ball with the keeper to beat only. At this point he passes the ball to his attacking partner who only has the keeper to beat as well, This is considered Offside yes according to RULE 11? To beat the rule, does he play the ball back or forward even without opposition players near only the last defender being the Keeper. Please clarify.
REGARDS

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

A player is considered to be in an offside position if he is nearer to his opponent's goal line than both the 2nd last opponent and the ball.

In the situation you're describing, where two players are past the defensive line and one has the ball, if the teammate of the player with the ball is in front of the ball then he's in an offside position. If he remains level with or behind the ball, then there's no problem.

It makes no difference what direction the ball is played in, as long as his teammate is not in front of the ball the moment it's last touched.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

As long as the attacking partner stays even with or behind the ball (that is to say the attacking player is not closer to the opponents goal line than the ball) until the ball is played to him by his teammate, he is onside. Doesn't matter if the pass is even, behind, or forward, there can be no offside. This changes every time the ball is played by either teammate. If, for example, the attacking partner now wants to pass the ball back to his teammate, the teammate must be even with or behind the ball when the pass is made or he will be in an offside position and will be guilty of an offside offense if he plays the ball passed to him. If he is even with or behind the ball when the ball is played by his teammate, he is onside and may play the ball no matter where the ball is played.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

Since the attacking players are behind the defense having beaten the trap, the offside line now moves with the ball. If an attacker is closer to the goal line than the ball when it is passed by a teammate, he will be charged with offside. If he is not closer to the goal line than the ball, but is instead even with it or behind it, he is in an onside position and can play the ball.

If the teammate with the ball shoots and scores with his teammate in an offside position, there is no offside unless the teammate somehow interfered with the keeper.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Joseph
A player is in an offside position if he is nearer to his opponents' goal line than BOTH the ball and the second-last opponent. Direction of the pass is irrelevant in offside. One can assume that if the ball is played back that the player was behind the ball when it was played but that does not hold true in all situations.
The key in this situation is the position of the attacking team mate relative to the ball not the 2nd last opponent alone. If the attacking team mate is behind the ball when it is kicked he cannot be offside as he is not in an offside position.
Move him ahead of the ball and he meets the condition of being nearer his opponents' goal line of BOTH the ball and the 2nd last opponent
So the key to staying onside in these situations is to stay behind the ball until it is played.