Question Number: 24943

Law 11 - Offside 5/14/2011

RE: house league Under 14

ryan of Orono, canada asks...

If your player passes the ball but your offside. Do you have to touch the ball for it to be offside.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Ryan
It all depends. In general a player in an offside position must touch the ball to be called offside. However there are exceptions such as where the player in an offside position interferes with an opponent or where a single lone player in an offside position chases after the ball. No touch is required in these situations for offside to be called.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Ryan:

Outside the United States, there are three times when players in offside position should be called offside: (1) when they actually play the ball; (2) when they interfere with an opponent's ability to see or play the ball; or (3) when they are close to the ball and the referee determines that there is no teammate from an onside position who will be able to play the ball. (The US agrees with this third notion, but instructs that the only way to know if an onside teammate will touch the ball is to wait and see what happens. In the US, we do not teach the third way.)