Question Number: 25503

Law 11 - Offside 9/27/2011

RE: HIGH SCHOOL (GIRLS) Adult

PHIL FRANKE of MONROEVILLE, INDIANA ALLEN asks...

A GIRL WAS IN LINE WITH THE NUMBER TWO DEFENDER (NUMBER ONE BEING THE GOALIE). THE SECOND OFFENSIVE PLAY TOOK A SHOT ON GOAL WHICH THE GOALIE MADE THE SAVE BUT LOST CONTROL OF THE BALL. THE FIRST OFFENSIVE PLAYER WENT TO THE GOAL AFTER THE BALL HAD CROSSED THE DEFENSIVE LINE AND TOOK CONTROL OF THE BALL AND SCORED A GOAL. THE GOAL WAS DISSALOUD. AFTER THE GAME I ASKED THE REF. FOR A EXPLANATION AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FIRST OFFENSIVE PLAYER HAD A FOOT IN FRONT OF THE NUMBER TWO DEFENSIVE PLAYER THUS CAUSING A OFFENSIVE ADVANTAGE AND WAS CALLED OFFSIDE. IS THIS TRUE EVEN THOUGH THE NUMBER ONE DEFFENSIVE PLAYER (GOALIE) HAD TOUCHED THE BALL AND LOST CONTROL?
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME - PHIL

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Phil, and thanks for your question.

The actual offside position is very, very difficult to judge in situations like this. Impossible to judge accurately without an assistant referee, but referees are practiced in making these decisions.

While an attacker may be standing mostly in line with the 2nd last defender, if any part of the body (except the arms) is closer to the goal line than any part of the defender, then that player is in an offside position (as long as she's in front of the ball). So if the referee saw from the position of her foot that she was just in front, then so be it.

As for collecting the rebound, the law states that in order to be penalised for offside, you need to either interfere with play, interfere with an opponent, or gain an advantage from being in an offside position.

This last one is what's relevant - according to the laws, this is when a player touches the ball after rebounding off the crossbar, goalposts, or an opponent - as long as she was in an offside position when the ball was last touched by a teammate.

A defensive touch doesn't cancel offside, even if that defender completely changes the direction of the ball. Only defensive control can, and that can be a bit of a judgement call for the referee.

I wasn't there, but it sounds like the referee may have been right on that decision.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

A player in offside position may not play a ball that deflects off or merely touches an opposing defender or goalkeeper. The defender must gain clear possession and control of the ball to make a player onside.

Offside position is judged based on the location of the feet, head or body (not arms).

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The ref correctly described the player being in an offside position. That is hard to see, but the forwardmost body part that can be used to play the ball is what is judged.

Then the player became involved by the third method noted in Law 11, 'gaining an advantage by being in that position'. This is defined as, '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.'

PS. Please don't send questions in all caps. This makes it harder to read, and is viewed as shouting in Internetiquette.