Question Number: 25885

Law 11 - Offside 1/13/2012

RE: Recreation Under 13

Rajan of Van Nuys, California USA asks...

On a throw in, corner kick or goal kick I understand that when a player receives the ball from his teammate in an offside position there is no offside call. As was explained to me, first touch only.
So that I am clear on this, a Blue player in an offside position receives a throw directly from his teammate... no offside. What if a player on the Red team has the first touch and then the ball goes to the Blue player in the offside position?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Rajan,

I can see how the laws could be confusing here. What the laws are trying to say is that the touch that puts the ball into play at a throw in, corner kick or goal kick cannot be a consideration in offside.

The opposing team touch doesn't change this.

It might help if, for the purposes of offside, you forget that the ball was put into play by an attacker and just imagine that nobody has touched the ball until the first touch comes along, then you can start thinking about offside considerations from that moment.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If the ball comes from an opponent's deliberate play, there is no offside to be considered.

If the opponent deflects the ball, offside considerations are not changed. The player is not liable for offside if he receives the ball directly from the throw-in, goal kick or corner kick; that exemption does not change in the event of a deflection.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Rajan
Law 11 states that a player cannot be offside directly from a corner kick, goal kick or a throw in. The key word is directly and as you know Law 11 states that a player in an offside position is only penalised if, at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team..... . In the throw in restart the last touch / play by a team mate is the thrower. An intervening touch or a play by an opponent makes no difference to that. However if the ball is touched / played by a team mate then offside consideration does apply at that touch / play.
So in your example the last Blue player to touch / play the ball was the thrower so the touch by Red is irrelevant and play simply continues.