Question Number: 27409

Law 11 - Offside 5/7/2013

RE: High School

Joe Sereno of Gaylord, MI USA asks...

Two attackers are able to break away from the last defender so it is a 2v1 versus the keeper. If the 2nd attacker without the ball runs ahead of the player with the ball, and the ball is then passed (with the 2nd attacker playing the ball), is there an offside call? Or does the fact they are both behind the second to last defender mean anything?

I raised my flag but the coach asked about the 'breakaway rules' which I am not familiar with.

Thanks!!!

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

You were correct.

When two attackers have beaten the trap, the position of the second last defender is often irrelevant to calculating offside position. But, any player who is even with (or behind) the ball when it is touched by a teammate is onside. And, as you found, a player who is closer to the opponent's goal than the ball at that moment is in offside position.

For the AR, it is important to focus on the location of the ball at the time of the pass. Side stepping (so that the AR is square to the field) is the best way to make the right call.

The coach was wrong. There are no special 'breakaway rules.'

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Joe
There are no 'breakaway rules' on offside and I'm unsure where the coach got that idea. I have seen some questions that suggest erroneously that offside does not apply when there is no defender present but that is totally not the case . Offside applies at all times in the opponent's half except from a throw in, corner kick or a goal kick.
Rule 11 of NFHS states (the exact same principles as Law 11) that a player is in an offside position when nearer to his/her opponents' goal line than the ball, unless:
a. the player is in his/her own half of the field of play; or
b. the player is not nearer to the opponent's goal line than at least two opponents.
So in this breakaway scenario the only way that the player without the ball can stay onside is to remain behind the ball as the 2nd last opponent is behind him. If he moves ahead of the ball he is an offside position and he can be called offside if he interferes with play or with an opponent. Your call was good and well done on that.

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

The farthest-ahead player (the one in offside position) participated in play. Because there was involvement in play, there was offside.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

There is no 'breakaway rule'. You were correct, the second attacker was nearer the opposing goal line than both the ball and the next to last opponent. When he played the ball he interfered with play and the flag should have gone up