Question Number: 26748

Law 11 - Offside 9/11/2012

RE: Competitive Adult

Harris of Toronto, Ontario Canada asks...

For judging an offside, LOTG says that if a player steps leaves the field of play without the referee's permission, we consider them on the goal line until the next stoppage in play.

What happens if a player steps off the field as part of a natural playing movement (only for a few seconds) and at the moment he is off the field, the ball is played to an attacker who is ahead of the second last defender.

If the consideration is that the second last defender is on the goal line, the goalkeeper would become the second last defender and the attacker would be considered onside. Otherwise offside.

I ask this because it happened to me in a game yesterday; not an imaginary game scenario. Luckily enough though, the ball went to the goalkeeper and play continued.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Harris
It makes no difference whether the movement off the field of play is accidental or deliberate in determining offside. If a defender is off the field of play behind the goal line or the touchline he is placed on the goal line or on the touchline for the pupose of determining offside and as you say the next 2nd last opponent can then be the goalkeeper or indeed another team mate who is on the goalline or closest to it.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The player over the goal line would be the last defender. The 2nd to last defender would then be the one on the field closest to the goal line. That might be the goalkeeper in this case; that's OK.


The 2nd to last defender refers to any player on the team. While the goalkeeper is usually last, that's not a requirement. Sometimes when the goalkeeper moves up to play the ball, she may become the 3rd or 4th last defender. Makes it interesting for the assistant referee to view, but it doesn't change the requirement that the offside line is defined by the 2nd to last opponent.

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