Question Number: 27649

Law 11 - Offside 8/9/2013

RE: competitve Under 19

Scott of BEaverton, OR usa asks...

iI a player from team a passes the ball to a player from team b, when the player from team b is in an offside position, is the player offside?

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

No. When a field player on the defending team makes a deliberate play of the ball (in the US this is interpreted as having possession and control of the ball and not a miskick), anyone on the attacking team is eligible to play regardless of position.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Scott
Offside only applies when the ball is played by a team mate of the player in an offside position. So a player cannot be offside when the ball is deliberately played by an opponent.
That should not be confused with the offside condition of 'gaining an advantage by being in that position' where the ball rebounds or deflects off an opponent defender to the attacking player in an offside position from the play by an attacking team mate. In that case offside still applies as it is not a deliberate play by the defender.