Question Number: 27435

Law 11 - Offside 5/16/2013

RE: Competitive Under 17

Glen Cunningham of Highlands Ranch, Colorado USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 27399

I'm confused. Is it possible to interfere with a play without touching the ball? The keeper's first step was to catch the ball but he then stopped and moved to a defensive position when he saw the offsides player. The players are taught to not rely on officials calling offsides. The offsides player clearly affected the keeper's play. My first thought was the offsides player distracted the keeper from playing the ball. I believe the law is there to prevent an unfair advantage. The net result is the offsides player gained an advantage (corner kick scoring opportunity) directly because of the player was in an offside position. Had the player not been offsides the keeper would have played the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Glen
Law 11 was changed in 2005 which stated that a player in an offside position can only interfere with play by touching the ball. The player can also interfere with an opponent by '' preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent's line of vision or movements or making a gesture or movement which, in the opinion of the referee, deceives or distracts an opponent.''
That wording is now being clarified by IFAB by being amended to '' by clearly obstructing the opponent's line of vision or challenging an opponent for the ball.''
Many referees had always interpreted interfering with an opponent in that way. An example would be a defender moving away from one player to mark a player in an offside position. If the ball does not go to the player in an offside position then there is no possible offside. That is an error choice by the defender not an offside offence.
Another example is a player standing clearly in an offside position at a free kick. The PIOP cannot interfere with play but there is no offside even if the defender decides that he needs to move towards that player even though he leaves another player unmarked or decides not to go to play the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

A player in offside position must do something that affects the keeper/defender's ability to see or to play the ball. So, mere presence in an offside position is not enough, even if the keeper seems distracted by that presence. Keepers know (or quickly learn) to focus on the ball - - not on an opponent.

'Gaining an advantage from an offside position' has a very limited definition: touching the ball after it deflects off an opponent or the goalpost/crossbar.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

If a keeper foolishly stops playing the ball and decides to mark an opponent, that's on the keeper not the opponent. No offside here

The following questions were asked as a follow up to the above question...

See Question: 27645