Question Number: 26337

Law 16 - Goal Kick 5/15/2012

RE: Recreational Under 17

Jorge Medina of Bellflower , CA Los Angeles asks...

When a goalie kicks the ball from a goal kick and a opponent is in outside position, but the ball hits a defender in the back when the goalie kicked the ball. The opponent then gets the ball and scores. Is the opponent in the outside positon.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jorge
I assume you mean offside position? One of the conditions of offside is that the ball must be played or touched by a team mate for offside to be a consideration. So only players in the team with full control and possession of the ball can be called offside. Once the defending team took control of the ball only players on that team can then be considered for offside.
In the example you cite there is no offside here even if the play by the defender was deliberate such as a pass back to the goalkeeper that goes astray. The opponent while he is in an offside position cannot be called offside as the ball has not been played to him by a team mate.
The only exception to that is where the ball is deflected or rebounds off an opponent that is not deliberate to a player in an offside position from a play / touch by a team mate.
In your scenario if the ball was played by a team mate, deflected off the defender then offside would be called when the player in an offside position interfered with play as he has 'gained an advantage by being in that position'
So look at offside as a team concept. The original wording was that a "player was off his side". When a team has possession of the ball offside is not a consideration for its opponents. The moment possession of the ball changes then offside consideration switches to the team in control of the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

If the ball touches another player (from either team) before the ball leaves the penalty area, the kick must be retaken. The ball was never in play.

Offside positioning is irrelevant in your situation. Offside position is only determined when a teammate touches the ball. Since the ball never touched a teammate of the attacker, the attacker is free to play the ball after the ball is in play. So, if the defender was outside of the penalty area when struck by the ball, the attacker may validly play and score.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

I cannot tell from the wording of the question just what is going on.
A few thoughts:

1. If the ball hits anyone inside the penalty area before leaving the penalty area, the kick must be retaken,
2. If the ball leaves the penalty area and hits an opponent and bounces to a teammate who was in an offside position when the ball hit the opponent, it is an offside offense if the offside positioned player touches the ball.