Question Number: 26668

Law 11 - Offside 8/22/2012

RE: rec Under 17

bob of New York, New York USA asks...

When doing recertification,I came upon a question where I was not familiar with it. If player x receives ball from player y and the defender a just leaves the field when the pass is being made. Is player x offside because defender a left the field.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

If a player temporarily leaves the field of play, he is considered to be on the line where he left for purposes of offside.

If the player deliberately leaves the field in an attempt to force an offside situation, that is unsporting behavior.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The defender is considered to be ON the line where he crossed over.

If the referee believes the defender did this to unfairly place an opponent in an offside position, the defender is cautioned

Answer provided by Referee Michelle Maloney

No. A defender who deliberately leaves the field to try and put an opponent in an offside position will be cautioned for leaving the field without permission. The opponent is not considered offside, since where the defender left the field is where s/he is considered to be standing on the line for the purpose of determining if an offside has occurred.