Question Number: 26119

Law 11 - Offside 3/30/2012

RE: compet

Bruce Reeves of kentfeld , CA usa asks...

off side question direct free kick taken attacking player not in offside position when kick taken. at the time the ball rebounds off crossbar and does not touch goalie attacker now in offside position and plays rebound off crossbar for a goal. Referee suggests that play resets when ball hits cross bar, and attacker who scores is offside even though she in onside position when direct free kick taken. does play reset when ball hits crossbar?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

What's important is where the attacker is at the moment the ball is last touched by a teammate.

If, at this moment, he is in an onside position then no action can change that. Offside position will only be reconsidered when a teammate touches the ball again.

It wouldn't make sense for play to reset when hitting the crossbar anyway, as the crossbar isn't a teammate of the attacker!

(Though on some games it can seem like the goalkeeper has been paying the crossbar for special favours....)

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Put simply, the referee was wrong. If a player is in an onside position when the ball is played by a teammate he cannot commit an offside offense until the ball is again touched or played by a teammate when position is re-evaluated.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Bruce
I hope this referee's suggestion got misunderstood in the communication as it is wrong. Had the player who scored been in an offside position when the ball was kicked then that was offside as the player under Law 11 'gained an advantage by being in that position'. Had the original shot entered the goal directly the referee only had to decide whether a player in an offside position 'interfered with an opponent'. If players are in an onside position when the ball was last touched by a team mate then they simply cannot be offside subsequently including a rebound off the frame of the goal or an opponent. Both offside terms can be viewed in Law 11 of the Laws.
In the scenario you describe the player who scored was in an onside position when the ball was last touched by a team mate. As the ball came off the crossbar that does not change anything and the player was entitled to participate in play as he was not offside.
Many times in these situation the player can be in an offside position when the original shot is taken by a team mate. On free kicks attacking players are frequently in line with defenders and they do move forward before the ball is kicked putting them in an offside position. ARs must look closely for this and frequently offside is called when a ball rebounds from the goalkeeper or the frame of the goal and the ball is touched by the player in an offside position.

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 26711