Question Number: 27483

Law 11 - Offside 5/26/2013

RE: rec Under 16

janie of Cincinnati , ohio usa asks...

In a penalty kick when the goalie stops the ball by hitting it away from her and the kicker shoots it in the goal. Is the kicker offsides if there is no one in front of her but the goalie?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Not at all. The player taking the PK received the ball either:
-- from an opponent (unlikely, as saves don't count as possession)
or
-- from a rebound from an opponent.

In the situation here, the player received the ball from a rebound off an opponent. In that case, the player's offside status was determined before the rebound. Since the player took the PK, she was not offside at that time. She did not receive the ball from a teammate, so offside cannot apply later.

No offside.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Janie
Offside only applies when the ball is played / touched by a team mate to a player in an offside position.
In the penalty kick situation the only attacker to touch the ball is the penalty kicker and as a result cannot be offside. Playing the ball to oneself even via an opponent can never be offside or when the ball is deliberately played by an opponent.
The referee also ensures that team mates of the kicker cannot be in an offside position before the kick is taken by ensuring that they are not in front of the ball. That rarely if ever happens anyway as all players prefer to stand on the penalty area line behind the kicker rather than to the side of the penalty area.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

No Janie, offside is only judged when a teammate touches or plays the ball