Question Number: 25382

Law 11 - Offside 9/1/2011

RE: Select Under 9

Mike Pepin of Boise, ID USA asks...

I have an offside question that is bugging me. At my son's game last weekend, a player on his team had a breakaway from our half of the field into the opponents half of the field, towards the goal and the goalie. As he was dribbling, toward the goal another player on the same team ran by him (went ahead of him) on the left and he for whatever reason passed him the ball and the referee immediately called offside ending the breakaway and goal scoring opportunity. All the defenders had been in our half of the field when the breakaway started. I am just wondering if this was really offside?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Yes, it was offside. Somewhere an evil myth has arisen that you can't be offside if all the opponents are in the other half of the field. That's totally FALSE.

Law 11 defines offside position: 'A player is in an offside position if: he is nearer to his opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent.'

Since the player went further forward than the ball, he was in an offside position. When the teammate passed the ball to him and he played it, he was offside.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

It is offside.

Forwards need to remember that they should stay even with the ball when they are closer to the opposing goal line than the other defenders.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Mike
Most definitely offside. There was a notion doing the round some time ago that if all the defenders were in opponents' half of the field of play that in some way offside did not apply?? That is most definitely not the case
The team mate of the player in possession of the ball when he went ahead of the ball was nearer to the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second last opponent. the 2nd last opponent just so happened to be in the other half. The attacker player was therefore clearly in an offside position. When he interfered with play by touching the ball from the pass the offside was called.
Had the original player continued to dribble with the ball no offside would have been called.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Absolutely was Offside and I'm with you; why did he pass the ball to a teammate in such an obvious offside position?

Answer probably is that these players are 9 year old kids.

As to the offside. If I understand you, the teammate was clearly ahead of the ball, and I believe from your description, clearly behind the second to last defender. This puts him in an offside position. Had the ball not been passed to hime, no problem as it is not an offence to be in an offside position but once the ball was passed to him, if he touches it, he'e interfering with play and the flag should come up.