Question Number: 28631

Law 11 - Offside 8/3/2014

Jordan of St. Louis, USA asks...

Team A player 1 is attacking on opponents half and team B player 1 and team B goalie are in between the ball and their goalline. A1 kicks it forward past B1 and A2 runs past B1 to go get the ball and score. Is team A player 2 offsides?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi there Jordan,
Hard to follow the A's and B's all running around but in fact that is exactly what the referee/ARS must do!
From your description I can see NO possibility of offside! This assumes attacking player A2 has not started his run too early and has already passed 2nd last defender B1 prior to the ball leaving the foot of attacking player A1

The freeze frame moment is that last crucial touch of the ball as it leaves A1's foot! When A1 last touched the ball sending in the through ball for A2 to run onto, if your attacking player A2 was further away from the opponent's goal line than its keeper and defender B1 there is no offside.

Once the freeze frame moment evaluating offside position has occurred and a player is determined to be onside (an unrestricted free player) or offside (a restricted player), all players and the ball will rearrange themselves on the field as a result of momentum but the attacking players who were not restricted are still NOT restricted, no matter they are standing inside the opponent's goal until a new touch of the ball by any team mate creates a NEW evaluation of the positions. By the same logic if any attacking players were determined to be off side thus (RESTRICTED Players) they can travel to their own half and be standing inside THEIR OWN goal and STILL not yet be able to rejoin active play UNTIL that NEW phase creates a NEW evaluation of the positions!

This is more of additional information but pertains to a concept of offside that I continually reinforce is when an offside restricted player is permitted to rejoin active play.
An offside restricted player ORP can do NOTHING on his own to become onside. To possibly lift the offside restriction one of three events MUST occur!
(1)A new touch of the ball by a teammate occurs when the ORP is NOT in an offside position!
(2)The opponents have clearly played the ball!
The ORP position is immaterial!
(3) The play goes out of play!
3 restarts are exempt from offside!
The ORP position is immaterial!
Any free kick restart by the opponent is of course a clearly played ball.
The ORP position is immaterial!
Any free kick in his favour is a new touch thus do not be offside positioned when the kick occurs or be the kicker.

It is not an offence in itself to be in an offside position.
A player is in an offside position if:
• he is nearer to his opponents' goal line than both the ball and the
second-last opponent

A player is not in an offside position if:
• he is in his own half of the field of play or
• he is level with the second-last opponent or
• he is level with the last two opponents
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jordan
The answer lies in the position of A2 at the moment the ball is played by a team mate and from what you have described there is no offside here. As A2 had two opponents between himself and the goal line (B1 and the GK) at the moment the ball was kicked by A1 there was no offside. It then made no difference where A2 touched or took possession of the ball.
Also a player cannot be offside if he is behind the ball or is in his own half at the moment the ball is played.
So what you gave described is the typical way of beating offside. Be in an onside position when the ball is played by a team mate and then run on to the ball behind the defenders.
Here is a link to US Soccer Resources on Law 11 which covers your scenario
https://ussoccer.app.box.com/s/ruqcsf0671k1bcf6dzwf/1/344299505/5232572006/1