Question Number: 27399

Law 11 - Offside 5/6/2013

RE: Competitive Under 17

Glen of Highlands Ranch, Colorado USA asks...

Hi,
Hope you can clarify this for me. The attacking team is going up the field with one of their players offsides by 2 strides and in the 18 yard box. His teammate kicks the ball and it glances off a defender. The player in an offsides position sees the glance and doesn't play the ball but lets it go out the goal line. The defending goalie doesn't play the ball since he didn't see the ball glance off the defender, rather he keeps his position in the goal to play the offsides player. The ref awards a corner kick to the attacking team. I thought the proper call was an indirect free kick to the defending team since the keeper was playing the offsides player. What is the right call?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Glen
The correct call is a corner kick. The player in an offside position has to do something more than just being in that position be to be called offside. He has to interfere with play by touching the ball which he did not do or he has to interfere with an opponent which again he did not do.
Had the player in an offside position prevented the goalkeeper from playing the ball or if the player in an offside position blocked the GK's view to the ball then that would have been offside .

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Hi Glen and thanks for the question. We must always remember the first words of Law 11: It is NOT an offense to merely be in an offside position. The offside positioned player must interfere with play (touch the ball), dain an advantage by being in that position (touching the ball that has rebounded from goal post, cross bar, or an opponent, or interfere with an opponent (blocking keeper's line of sight, preventing an opponent from being able to move towards and play the ball are two examples).
The offside positioned player should not be punished simply because the keeper chose to mark him. He would have to do something to draw the attention of the keeper such as gesticulating or screaming.

In your question the ball crossed over the goal line out of play last touched by a defender. Correct restart is a corner kick. The referee got this one right.

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