Question Number: 25307

Law 11 - Offside 8/14/2011

RE: Rec Under 13

Michele of Miamisburg, Ohio USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 25282

Why wasn't this offside? The attacker was between the ball and the goal when he took possession of the ball without two players between himself and the goal.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Michele
The relevant part of Law 11 is the position of the attacker when the ball is last touched/played by his team mate. The position when the player takes posession of the ball is irrelevant. Offside cannot be called on a deliberate play from an opponent.
A player can be in an onside postion when the ball is played by a team mate and then run into an offside position to take posession of the ball. That is not offside. Indeed with defenders running out and the attacker running in the distance between players can be considerable between the time the ball is played and when the attacking player takes posession of the ball. That can look offside but it is not.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

When (as here) an opponent has clear possession and control of the ball, every player for the other team is eligible to play the ball regardless of positioning. Offside position is judged each time a TEAMMATE touches the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

An attacking player is never offside if s/he receives the ball from a controlled play by a defender.

It is not an offense to be in an offside position, so the player had done nothing wrong by being there. The keeper had the ball in his possession, then deliberately released it. The ball was free to be played by any player.

The judgment of offside is always a two part equation: position + involvement (the player has to touch or nearly touch the ball, interfere with an opponent or play a rebound or deflection from the defending side) = offside and only if the ball was lasted touched or played by a teammate. In the case in point, the ball was last controlled and played by a defending player. No offside is possible.