Question Number: 26627

Law 11 - Offside 8/13/2012

RE: Rec Under 9

Brendan of Folsom, Ca US asks...

This question is a follow up to question 26616

Player is in an offside position when ball is played forward of the second defender. He does not make a play for the ball and is judged not to have been involved in the play nor have gained an advantage at this point (no call). Play continues and player's position appears to become 'on-side' because defenders are racing back on defense (but ball has not been played by defense yet). At what point(s) can the player re-engage into offensive play without being called for offside?
(for example, if there is a shot on goal and the goalie punches it toward the player who was in offside position, but at this point does not 'appear' to be offside, does he have to let it go or can he play at this point or does he have to wait for defense to make a play on the ball?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Brendan
Once a player is in an offside position and the ball has been played by a team mate then there is nothing that the player can do to put himself back onside.
The player must wait until
1. The ball goes out of play
2. The opponents gains full control of the ball
3. A team mate in an onside position plays the ball and begins another phase of play.
In the case of a rebound or deflection off an opponent and the player was in an offside position when the ball was played by a team mate that player cannot touch the ball even if he has returned to an onside position in the intervening period between the touch by his team mate and the ball making its way to the player. He will be called offside for gaining an advantage by being in that postion no matter in what position he touches the ball. The IDFK will be taken from the original offside position not from where he touched the ball.
An example would be a ball that is kicked by a team mate towards a player in an offside postion where the ball rebounds up in the air off a defender. The player in an offside position who has been moving then touches the ball in an onside position in front of the defender, maybe even in his own half. That is still offside and the IDFK will be taken from the position the player was in when the ball was played by his team mate not where he touched the ball. There is nothing that he can do to change that except one of the 3 points above.