Question Number: 24995

Law 11 - Offside 5/23/2011

RE: Any Other

Tyler thayer of Sherwood, Oregon USA asks...

I have always been told that if there is a deflection off of a defender, there is no offside. Recently I have been told differently. What is the correct application of the rule?

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Anyone younger than 30 is wrong. Few older than 30 remember 1978, when the law was changed. Since 1978, a deflection off a defender has not reset offside position.

In fact, the definition of 'gaining an advantage from an offside position' includes playing the ball after a deflection off an opponent.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Tyler,

This is one that comes up all the time. Even players who have extensive experience at reasonably high levels of the game sometimes seem to think that the deflection nullifies offside - peculiar, considering they would have seen many occasions when it does not!

A controlled play by the defender would nullify offside (say, he volleys the ball 40 yards back to his keeper, not noticing there's an attacker 20 yards behind him), but a misplay or deflection does not.

As Ref Wickham states, the written interpretations of Law 11 specifically consider deflections off an opponent.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Who told you that? Hopefully wasn't a USSF instructor or, for that matter, a USSF referee. A deflection off an opponent has not reset offside since 1978. An opponent must control the ball for offside to reset. Please pass this along to whoever has been telling you a deflection off a defender negates offside.