Question Number: 27888

Law 11 - Offside 10/14/2013

Jim Jones of Washington DC, DC US asks...

Scenario attacker A is onside when a direct free kick is taken, but the kick hits defender A and bounces backwards for attacker A to put into the net.

Does that deflection off the defender put the attacker in an offside position or must the defender establish control?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Are Attacker A and Defender A teammates? Then offside would apply even if it was just a deflection.

If A and D are on opposite teams, then a deflection off D has no effect on the 'offsidedness' of A. If A was offside at the time of the last touch by a teammate, he is still offside. If not, he's still not offside. Of course any infraction would not be called until A becomes involved in play.

If D makes a controlled play of the ball, then A will not be considered for offside, because it is only established after a touch by a teammate. D's play of the ball is a gift to A.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jim
If Attacker A was in an onside at the kick then it cannot be offside unless the ball is subsequently touched by a team mate of Attacker A and another determination is made on that touch as to whether Attacker A was in an offside position.
If the ball is played or touched by an opponent to a player who was in an onside position at the last touch by a team mate then that is not offside.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

The defender must exert control of the ball to reset offside so if Attacker A was in an offside position when the ball was played by a teammate, a mere deflection off a defender will not protect him and if he becomes actively involved in play, he will be penalized for an offside offense.

However, that's not the case here. Attacker A was ONSIDE when the ball was played by a teammate. It doesn't matter what the opposing player does as we only judge offside when the ball is touched or played by a teammate. Since he was onside when ball last played by a teammate, he is free to play the ball wherever it was after deflecting off the opponent, so the goal is good.