Question Number: 25183

Law 11 - Offside 7/7/2011

RE: Rec Adult

Dave of Brampton, Ontario Canada asks...

It's about passive offside. These number are close to accurate.

Players A,B and C are forward strikers. Player C is offside by about 5 yards, in the middle of the field. Player B is onside, about 25 feet away. Player A is back about 30 feet, half way between players B and C across the width of the field (I hope that makes sense).

Player B gets a great pass from player A, over the defender. Player B and C both run for the goal. Player B passes sideways to player C, who scores.

Obviously player C had a huge advantage from being in an offside position (and actually offside until just before the ball is passed to him). And in my opinion was always in the field of play.

Yeah, it's part sour grapes, but is the passive offside rule actually encourage this kind of cherry picking?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Dave
There is no such thing as passive offside or receiving a playing benefit having previously been in an offside position. The player in an offside position must meet the conditions of offside to be called for the infraction. So unless Player B, when the ball was played to him by his team mate, was in an offside position or that he interfered with an opponent then the goal is good as there is no offside offence.
Let me give an extreme example of what you are talking about.
Player B is stood at the corner of the goal area unable to run in an offside position. All the defenders are at the half way line over 40 yards away. Player A runs with the ball from half way with the defenders now in chase. He gets to the goal line and passes the ball to B who is now in an onside position and he taps it into the goal. That is not offside. He may have been in a offside position for the main duration of the play but at the moment the ball was played to him he was onside that that is what counts.
Commentators have complained about these 'benefit' situations not being called offside but that is what IFAB wants. So if you feel that it is cherry picking then that what it is but it is not offside.
BTW being off the field of play does not exonerate a player from offside consideration. The player in an offside position is placed on the touchline for offside consideration or on the goal line if he is off the field of play behind the goals at the moment the ball is played by a team mate

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

As long as C was in an onside position when B passed the ball to him, there is no offside offense. (Your question implies this, but does not specifically state it; we must presume that C was behind the ball when B passed it sideways to him.)

C is allowed to stand in an offside position all day long if he so desires - the first line of Law 11 tells us so. However he cannot become involved in play if he is in an offside position when the ball is *last* touched/played by a teammate. That's the key - the last touch. Offside considerations are reset on every touch/play by a teammate.

And this is the way it has to be. Law 11 would be impossible to administer if there was not a specific moment in which offside position was established. 'He was offside a short while ago, even if he isn't now' doesn't cut it.

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Dave, I am afraid the phrase 'passive offside' is an oxymoron. This phrase is 'truly false' to use another oxymoron.
The law on offside in soccer specifically defines the moment it is to be judged by the officials. This moment in your example came when B passed the ball to C. Well, at that moment C was doing just fine, being level with the ball. What he did before is irrelevant. He could be standing on the opponents' goal line during active play and never be penalized for being offside. That is of course if he is 'passive'.