Question Number: 25329

Law 11 - Offside 8/19/2011

RE: Rec Under 10

John Lubeck of Livermore, CA USA asks...

Hypothetical: Two attackers are in the attacking half of the field, one on the left and one on the right. The one on the right is in an onside position and the one on the left is in an offside position. The only defender, chooses to move towards the one on the left and the ball is subsequently passed to the attacker on the right.

In my view the player on the left has gained an advantage by drawing the defender and this is an offsides infraction. Am I correct? If so, where is the ball placed for the IFK?

Thanks,

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Your thinking is common, but incorrect.

Gaining an advantage from an onside position means only one thing: touching the ball after it deflects off an opponent or the goalpost/crossbar.

A player in offside position is offside, however, if the player interferes with a defender's ability to see or play the ball (described as interfering with an opponent). In normal circumstances, however, a PIOP must do something that interferes with the defender (including movements or gestures to deceive the defender). Simply being in an offside position is not enough. The laws do not protect defenders from their own mistakes.

The restart for offside is the spot where the player in offside position was located at the moment the ball was touched (in this case passed) by the teammate.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi John
A player in an offside position is only penalised if, at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team, he is, in the opinion of the referee, involved in active play by:
# interfering with play or
# interfering with an opponent or
# gaining an advantage by being in that position.
If we look at the three elements we can rule out interfering with play and gaining an davantge by being in that position as the PIOP has not touched the ball.
Now Law 11 tells us "interfering with an opponent" means preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent's line of vision or movements or making a gesture or movement which, in the opinion of the referee, deceives or distracts an opponent.
The PIOP here has not prevented the defender from playing or seeing the ball but rather the defender has made an error in judgement. As the ball is played to the onside player there is no infringement.

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

The LOTG in the interpretations and guidelines at the end of the FIFA version (USSF was too cheap to print it but it is available for download at the ussoccer.com website) says:

'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

So the defender chose wrong. That does not mean the offside positioned player on the left gained an advantage under the LOTG. In fact he did not, since being in an offside position is not and has never been an offense.