Question Number: 27436

Law 11 - Offside 5/16/2013

RE: competitive

L Stanski of springfield, mo usa asks...

When an offensive player in an offside position receives the ball directly from a goal kick, there is no offside penalty. But I wonder, if a defensive player touches the goal kick but it still bounces forward to the offensive (offside) player, then would that be an offside penalty?

I'm guessing it should not be a penalty since that is continuation of the play of the goal kick, which has no offsides penalty, and no other offensive players have played or touched the ball forward to the offside player.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
Offside can only be considered if the ball is played by a team mate of the player in an offside position not by an opponent. The only time that offside can still apply, when it is touched by an opponent, is on a deflection or a rebound off a play by a team mate of the player in an offside position. In other words a play where there is no control of the ball.
As the ball was played by a team mate from a goal kick offside is not possible. The ball is then touched by an opponent so again offside is not possible. Had the ball been touched by a team mate to a player in an offside position then offside would apply when the PIOP interferes with play or an opponent.
So look at offside as a team concept. The original wording was that a 'player was off his side'. When a team has possession of the ball offside is not a consideration for its opponents. The moment possession of the ball changes then offside consideration switches to the team in control of the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

It would not be offside.

A convenient way to approach law 11 is to consider offside position whenever the ball is touched or played by a teammate, except when that touch was a goal kick, corner kick, or throw-in.