Question Number: 25549

Law 11 - Offside 10/3/2011

RE: rec. Adult

conrad castellanos of menifee, ca riverside asks...

attacker breaks through the defense line and now he is one on one with the goal keeper; the attacker takes a shot on goal but the keeper stop the shot and the ball goes to the attacker right
the ball pass the attacker and now the ball is going in the direction of the 18 yard line the attacker makes a u turn and tries to collect the ball but at this moment the referee makes the offside signal
did the ref. made the right call?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Conrad
If there was only one attacker and the goalkeeper involved in this situation offside is not possible in any circumstances. The attacker with the ball when he shoots is not in an offside position. When the ball comes back off an opponent the goalkeeper in this case, while he is now in an offside position, the ball has not been played or touched to him by a team mate and therefore offside cannot apply.
The only way offside can apply in such a situation is that there are two attackers A&B with say attacker B in an offside position ahead of the ball. When the shot from Attacker A rebounds from the goalkeeper Attacker B and with Attacker B in an offside position when the ball was played by A therefore under Law 11 that is offside under the term gaining an advantage by being in that 9offside) position. A rebound/deflection from an opponent or the frame of the goal does not reset the offside.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If the ball rebounds from the goalkeeper back to the same attacker, there can be no offside. That's because offside is evaluated when the ball is last played by a teammate, not by one's self.

But if the ball rebounds to another attacker, there could be offside. If that second attacker was in an offside position at the time the first took the shot, then it would be offside when the second player played the ball off the rebound.