Question Number: 24892

Law 11 - Offside 5/8/2011

RE: Adult

John of London, UK asks...

If a player takes a free kick outside the box, his teammate headers the ball towards goal, the goalkeeper saves but a third teammate scores from an offside position on goalline is it a goal or offside remembering that the goalkeeper was the last person to touch the ball before the 3rd player put the ball in the net.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

We have to make a few assumptions here that you don't specify:
-- The 3rd player on the goalline was there when the header on goal was taken by his teammate
-- The goalkeeper's save was a rebound/deflection, and the keeper never had control of the ball

If those two assumptions are correct, then offside should be called and the goal denied. This comes from the definition in the Laws: "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.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi John
The answer depends on the position of the 3rd attacker from his team mate's header. If he was in an offside position then a save by the goalkeeper does not reset offside and the offside should be called when the 3rd attacker interferes with play. Law 11 states that gaining an advantage by being in that positions 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 including the goalkeeper having been in an offside position

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Where was the 3rd person at the moment the ball was headed by his teammate?
When the keeper made the 'save', did he catch and control the ball then let go of it, or did he slap the ball away from the goal with no control?
You have to answer these questions before you can decide if there was an offside infraction.
If the keeper controlled the ball and released it, no offside.
If the 3rd person was not in an offside position when the ball was headed, no offside.