Question Number: 27734

Law 11 - Offside 9/6/2013

RE: Under 14

Ian Hardwick of Nottingham, Notts England asks...

Can you be offside if the ball is played backwards, even if you are further forward than the ball when it is played, and if you would be offside had the ball been played forwards


Thanks

Ian

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Oh, how I wish more coaches would take the time to ask this question! This is a highly misunderstood aspect of offside.

The direction the ball moves in is completely irrelevant to offside. All that matters is the position of the player in question relative to the position of the ball and the opposition. The LOTG never mention the direction the ball is moving in.

Sometimes you see a scenario where Attacker A has the ball, and Attacker B is in an offside position nearby - but there are defenders between the two. So Attacker A player the ball backwards into space, and Attacker B runs backwards to retrieve the ball.

Attacker B would still be penalised for offside.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

When the ball is last touched by a teammate, a player is NOT in offside position if she is even with or behind the ball. Sometimes, however, the ball curves forward and then backwards. Sometimes, the player in offside position starts from a position that was closer to the goal than the ball. So, just knowing that the ball went backwards is not enough.

To be in offside position, all of the following must be true when the ball was last touched by a teammate, a player must have been:

a) in the opponent's half;
b) closer (e.g., not even with or behind) to the goal line than the second last defender, and
c) closer (e.g., not even with or behind) the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Ian
Direction of the ball is not a consideration in Law 11 Offside. It si the position of the player that matters.
Generally when the ball is played backwards the player is behind the ball which is not an offside position. However there can be times when the ball is played backwards and the player runs backwards from an offside position to play the ball and that is offside.
The most common example would be is where say from a corner kick the ball is played short to a player. The defence then pushes out level with the ball and the player plays the ball backwards before the corner kick taker has got to an onside position ie behind the ball or level with the 2nd last opponent. That is offside as the corner kick taker was in an offside position the moment the ball was played by team mate.