Question Number: 27511

Law 11 - Offside 6/8/2013

RE: Adult

Caleb White of Washington, DC United States asks...

It's an offsides question: Offensive Player A (OA) passes (P1) to Offensive Player B (OB), who is on-side, but Offensive Player C (OC) is off side during P1. OB receives the ball, controls, and passes (P2) to OC who is on-sides during P2 (but was offsides when OB initially received P1). Should the play be called offsides after P2 when OC receives the ball? (I really hope this makes sense and is clear. If not, it is the exact situation that just happened in Argentina-Columbia in the 71st minute) Thank you very much!

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Caleb
As described this is not offside. Pass 2 began a new phase of play so OC just has to be onside at the time of the pass (P2) to be entitled to participate in play.
Now in the game you mentioned I believe the offside may not have been called for the original offside (P1) on Aguero, who eventually scored , well I would like to think so, but did the AR Jorge Urrego believe that Messi who ran to the near post and who dummied the ball was in an offside position at the time of pass two P2 and that he interfered with an opponent?
What I can say is that if it was called for the original offside position on P1 then that call would have been incorrect. It would be unlikely that Jorge Urrego FIFA badged official since 2006 would make this error and I would suspect that the flash of Messi' s blue white shirt in front of the yellow shirt at the time of P2 was seen as offside. Media reports which are always questionable suggest that it was Messi that was called offside.
From the 1st July 2013 Messi will have to challenge the opponent for the ball to be deemed offside for interfering with an opponent. Currently deceives or distracts an opponent while in an offside position is in the opinion of the referee is sufficient which is subjective. The new wording will make that 'interfering' condition of offside much clearer.

http://www.footytube.com/video/argentina-colombia-jun07-181568?ref=hp_latestvideos

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Offside position is reconsidered each time the ball is touched by a teammate. So, at P2, the prior positioning of the players during P1 is irrelevant. So, not offside.
What sometimes happens, however, is that the assistant referee is not sure if after P1 the ball was touched by a defender and not another attacker - -which would make positioning at P1 still relevant.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

No. Offside is judged and resets every time an attacking player touches or plays the ball. Each time the ball was played by an attacking player it was played to a teammate that at that time was onside.