Question Number: 25378

Law 11 - Offside 8/31/2011

RE: All levels of youth Other

J of Sacramento, CA USA asks...

I always thought that I *thoroughly* understood offside until this event in a recent match. I apologize if I'm repeating a question, but I have searched past Q & A's to no avail.

With the Blue team's goalkeeper in his box, the Blue defender (who is the second to last defender) has the ball in the middle of his own defensive half of the field.

A Red attacker is in an offside position (somewhere between said Blue defender and Blue goalkeeper).

As the Blue defender kicks the ball (presumably a lob pass to a Blue teammate), it ricochets hard off of another field player, straight back over the Blue defender's head, directly to the Red attacker who is in the offside position.

Normally, a player in an offside position who intercepts a pass by an opponent is not penalized, but in this scenario the ball was deflected (and it ricocheted straight back to the Red attacker).

Is the Red attacker penalized for being in an offside position? Does it matter who the ball deflected/ricocheted off of (opponent or teammate)?

Thank you!

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi J
The answer to the question depends on who the ball ricochets off, that is the last player to touch the ball. If the ball ricochets off a red player then it is offside when the red player in an offside position touches the ball. If the ball bounces off a blue player there is no offside.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

As long as the ball didn't ricochet off a teammate, the player who was caught in an offside position is not called for being offside. His offside position is only noted at the time the ball touches a teammate, not an opponent.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

It does depend upon whether the ball deflects off a teammate or not.

Offside position is determined every time the ball touches a teammate, deliberately or not. The player in offside position is ineligible to play the ball until (a) the opposing team gains possession and control of the ball; (b) the ball goes out of play; (c) the player is in an onside position the next time the ball is touched by a teammate.

Here, once the opposing team was in the possession and control of the ball, the red attacker was eligible to play the ball regardless of his position on the field. He remains eligible until the ball is again touched by a teammate (when the referee will judged if he is then in offside position).

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

It absolutely matters who the ball ricocheted off. If a Red player, this is offside. If a blue player no offside.

As far as offside, remember, the ball only has to touch a teammate to reset offside so if Blue plays the ball and it touches a Red player and rebounds to a Red player that was in an offside position when the ball touched his teammate, the Red player will be guilty of an offside infraction if he interfere with play or an opponent.