Question Number: 27437

Law 11 - Offside 5/17/2013

RE: travel Under 13

Rich C of Pok, Ny USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 27325

If an player is in an offside position, and the team with the ball makes a back pass to a teammate who attempts to kick the ball, but miss- kicks and the ball goes to the player that was in the offside position, is this an offside violation?

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Rich,

In order to be offside the ball needs, at some point, to have come from a teammate. It can come from an attacker, deflected off a defender then onto another attacker and that could be offside because there has been a touch by an attacking teammate.

If it's simply poor passing amongst the defence then offside is not possible.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Rich
As I have said on other questions offside is a team play. The original wording when first introduced was that a 'player was off his side' which became shortened to 'offside'. When a team has possession of the ball offside is not a consideration or possible for its opponents. The moment possession of the ball changes then offside consideration switches to the team in control of the ball.
So offside can only be considered when the ball is touched or played by a team mate of the player in an offside position. When the ball is played by an opponent to a player in an offside position that cannot be offside. The one exception to this is where a pass by a team mate to a player in an offside position is deflected by an opponent. As the opponent is not deemed to be in control of the ball offside will still be called..
So in the example you cite the ball has been deliberately played by players to an opponent who happens to be in an offside position which means that this cannot be called offside.
Had the ball been played by a team mate of the player in an offside position and the opponent simply deflected the ball to the PIOP then that would be offside. As described it is simply poor play by the defenders.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Short answer, no. Offside only happens when a TEAMMATE plays the ball not an opponent as happened here