Question Number: 25680

Law 11 - Offside 10/29/2011

RE: rec Under 14

Andy of Martinez, CA usa asks...

The scenario is: player #1 is past mid-field... he passes the ball to himself just past the 2nd to last defender (their goalie was still back in the goal.... Player #1, clearly onside at the outset of this advance is dribbling toward the goal with no one in between him and the goal.... player #1's teammate, player #2 was behind the action... when #1 breaks free towards the goal, #2, who is much faster runs and moves ahead of #1.... a defender is chasing #1 and is still behind him when he disrupts #1's shot..... the 'shot' rolls weakly to #2 who is ahead of the play.... #2 shoots and scores but is ruled to be offside.... it's been explained to me why the penalty was called and I understand the basic logic.... in all my years of playing and coaching I've never seen anything like this.... I thought that once you were clearly and legally ONsides and behind the defense (except for the goalie) 'all bets were off' and you could do anything you wanted with the ball, again, because you were legally onsides from the beginning of the break..... why is it offsides if you've legally beaten the 2nd to last defender then passed to your teammate who was legally onsides at the point of the break?
Thank you for your time,
Andy

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Sorry, but you forgot the first criteria of being in an offside position: being ahead of the ball. Law 11 says, '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.' Historically (decades ago) the player's position in relation to the ball was the only condition for being 'off one's side', regardless of the position of the defenders.

So your Player 2 was not onside anymore once he went beyond Player 1 who had the ball. Offside is judged each and every time the ball is touched or played by a teammate.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Andy
I have come across this myth on a number of occasions and it is totally wrong. All bets are never off when it comes to offside except from a throw in, corner kick or a goal kick or in a player's own half. Offside applies in every other situation and a player must remain 'onside' to participate in play. To do that in the situation you describe # Player 2, to be in an onside position, must remain behind the ball as he does not have the option of being level with the second-last opponent. He can if he so wishes wait so that he is level with the retreating 2nd last opponent which again places him in an onside position.
Once though #Player 2 is ahead of the ball with only the goalkeeper between himself and the goal line he is clearly in an offside position. That in itself is not an offence until he interferes with play or interferes with an opponent which he did in this case by touching the ball.
While we are at it this myth is connected to another similar notion that suggests that if there are no opponents whatsoever in their half that offside does not apply. That also is incorrect for the same reasons as outlined earlier. To stay onside in that situation the player must not cross the half way line until after the ball is played.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hi Coach. When you get a chance go re-read Law 11, Offside. Offside is judged every time the ball is touched or played by a teammate. It is a myth that there can be no offside if the keeper is the only defender left between the attackers and the goal line.

In your scenario, when #1 plays the ball, #2 is nearer the opposing goal line than both the ball and the next to last defender, and he is in the attacking half of the field so he is in an offside position. When he plays the ball kicked to him by #1 he has interfered with play and the flag must go up for an offside offense.

The only times an offside positioned player may legally play a ball sent to him by a teammate are:
1. If he was in his own half of the field when the ball was played
2. At a goal kick
3. At a corner kick
4. At a throw in

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

It is a pretty common mistake by player #2. If both attackers are closer to the opponent's goal line than the second last defender, player #2 must stay even with or behind the BALL when it is last touched by player #1.