Question Number: 28314

Law 11 - Offside 4/8/2014

RE: rec Under 11

brendan of folsom, ca us asks...

Player B has the ball and the second to last defender comes up on Player B to prevent forward movement. Player B makes a crossing pass and the ball actually ends up behind Player B and the second to last defender (it goes laterally but curves so that it is now behind both Player B and the 2nd to last defender). Player A runs from the offside position back to receive the ball which is now behind Player B and the second to last defender.
Since Player A was in an offside position at the time the pass was made and he was the first one to touch the ball after the 'snapshot', I think he should be called for offside, even though he is onside when he receives the ball.
But this seems counter-intuitive because the ball never passes the second to last defender.
Am I correct to call offside at the point where Player A is when he receives the ball?
Thanks! Love your site!

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Brendan
You are indeed correct. Many mistakenly think that when the ball is played backwards that a player cannot be offside. That is born out of the principle that a player cannot be offside behind or level with the ball and most times when the ball is played back that is the case but not always. Law 11 makes no mention of the direction of the ball. When the player is ahead of the ball then the only other option to stay onside is to be level or behind the 2nd last opponent.
In this case the referee should call Player A offside when he touches the ball. The indirect free kick is taken from where Player A was located when the ball was played by Player B
Another example would be a player running from an offside position in his opponents' half into his own half after the ball has been played to him. When he touches the ball he is called offside even if he is in his own half. The IDFK is taken in the attacking half.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Correct. Offside position is judged when the ball last touches a teammate, not when the player receives or plays the ball.