Question Number: 27627

Law 11 - Offside 7/29/2013

RE: Amture Under 16

Soccer Fan of Melbourne, Victoria Australia asks...

Hi
Can someone explain offside rule.
Striker is in offside position behind defender, when ball was passed but makes move and will receive the ball in front of last defender.
In my understanding this offside because when the ball was played you ware in offside end regardless you mange to receive the ball before last men defender.
Please someone clarify this.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

What's important is the location of that player at the moment the ball was last touched by a teammate. If he was in an offside position at that moment, then he cannot enable himself to play the ball by running back into an onside position.

It's considered from where he was when the ball was touched, not where he receives the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi
Easiest way to explain this is that the indirect free kick will be taken from the player's offside location not from where he touched the ball. Offside is determined at the moment the ball is played by a team mate and if the player in an offside position subsequently touches the ball or interferes with an opponent offside is called. The IDFK is taken from where the player was located when the ball was played by a team mate not from where the offside positioned player touched the ball.
So in your example the player was in an offside position and then touched the ball in an onside position. That is offside and the IDFK is brought back to the original offside position.
It also works the opposite way in that a player can be onside when the ball is played and touch the ball in an offside position. That is not offside.