Question Number: 28508

Law 11 - Offside 6/15/2014

RE: COmpetitive Adult

Andy Cass of Sydney, NSW Australia asks...

I have a question regarding the offside rule.

Can you be offside if:

You are standing between the goalkeeper and the last defender and the opposition defender accidentally headers or passes the ball to you. (e.g. you are theoretically in an offside position but your team mate has not passed it forward, the opposition has passed it to you)

and

You are standing between the opposition goalkeeper and the last defender and the opposition goalkeeper accidentally passes it to you.

Please help.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Andy,

It depends what happened before the defender headed the ball to you.

An opponent's pass can't put you offside - so, if the defending team are passing it around themselves and it goes to you, that's not offside. It's only considered when there's an attacking touch.

Beyond that, a defensive touch doesn't nullify offside. Say for instance you were in an offside position, a teammate crossed the ball to you, a defender jumped up to head the ball away but couldn't control it and the ball fell to you, that would still be offside (even if the defender significantly changed the path of the ball). If, on the other hand, there's an easy high ball in the penalty area from a touch by either team and the defender heads it to the keeper, not realising you were there, then you can play the ball. It's the element of control that's key (and as I said, if there was no attacking touch prior, then there can't be offside anyway).

It doesn't matter if the keeper is involved - for offside, he's simply 1 of 11 players, and the line is drawn at the 2nd last line of defence or the ball.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Andy
To be called offside the ball must be touched / played by a team mate. If the ball is played by an opponent including the goalkeeper to the player in an offside position then there cannot be offside.
There is one exception to this which relates to a deflection / rebound / save off an opponents. These type of touches do not reset the offside and it is deemed to be 'gaining an advantage by being in that position'. Generally it is say a save by a goalkeeper that goes to the player in an offside position or a shot that is stopped by a defender yet the ball rebounds / deflects to the offside positioned player. In those instances offside is called.
The key to the decision is control. Once control is exerted on the ball by a player only team mates of that player can be considered for offside.

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