Question Number: 26111

Law 11 - Offside 3/29/2012

RE: Select Under 13

referee of Charleston, SC USA asks...

A defender has the ball in his own half. He attempts to play a long ball, but it deflects off the knee of Attacker 1, and goes right to Attacker 2, who is in an offsides position. Is this not offsides since the ball was played by the defender?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
Who touched the ball last before it went to Attacker 2? 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, he is, in the opinion of the referee, involved in active play. The key word is touches so in your scenario Attacker 1 touched the ball last to Attacker 2 who is in an offside position and therefore offside is called.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

That is offside. Offside position is considered - and reconsidered - each and every time the ball 'touches or is played by' a teammate. It doesn't have to be a deliberate touch; any glancing blow counts. Once that happens, a player caught in the offside position cannot become involved in play.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is TOUCHED or played by a teammate is penalized for offside if he becomes actively involved in play. Attacker 1 last touched the ball. When Attacker 1 touched the ball, Attacker 2 was in an offside position. When Attacker 2 touched the ball he became actively involved in play by interfering with play and must be punished for an offside offense