Question Number: 28657

Law 11 - Offside 8/13/2014

RE: High School

Kareem of Auckland, New Zealand asks...

I struggle with the way the offside rules are written and interpreted. Any comments please?

Cases

A) Two forwards, one offside, run onto a ball. Non offside forward approaches penalty box unopposed with ball from the left. The other peels off to the right and asks for the ball(or even if he doesn't ask for the ball but is approaching the goal). Goalkeeper is torn as to cover the possible shot or one-on-one by non offside forward or try to cover the pass to the offside forward. The non offside forward either shoots at the near post or dribbles and scores. Dont you think the keeper is at a disadvantage? if he knew the second forward was offside then he could have eliminated the possibility of a pass to him and just concentrated on the forward with the ball.

Is there any case for calling it an offside?


B) The last defender goes up for a header and an offside striker is either behind or infront of him (say within 5 meters). The defender doesn't know that the striker was originally in an off side position and heads the ball instead of controlling it or leaving it to the keeper. A second attacker gets the ball from the defensive header and scores.
It doesn't seem right that the goal is allowed as the defender had to play at the ball as he didn't know that the attacker was offside.

Is there any case for calling it an offside?

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Offside is one of the more confusing wordings in the Laws of the Game. As my former pastor said, 'The Bible doesn't always mean what it says, but it does mean what it means.' Substitute in 'Laws' and you have a fair picture of the amount of interpretation that is needed to be passed down from IFAB to the national organization to instructors to referees.

A) The interpretation says
---------
"interfering with an opponent" means preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent's line of vision or challenging an opponent for the ball
---------
Since the player did not get in the keeper's way or challenge for the ball, no offside.

B) Your scenario doesn't say whether the second attacker was or wasn't in an offside position when the first striker plays the ball. That would be a normal offside situation. The 2nd striker's position would be considered at the time the 1st striker played the ball. Previous plays no longer apply.

If we're considering the header play, the interpretation is
----------
"gaining an advantage by being in that position" means playing a ball
i. that rebounds or is deflected to him off the goalpost, crossbar or an opponent having been in an offside position
ii. that rebounds, is deflected or is played to him from a deliberate save by an opponent having been in an offside position
----------
Now we have to interpret a rebound or deflection. The more advanced the game is, the more likely it is that the header is a deliberate play and not a deflection, so it would not be offside on the part of the first striker.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

No. These are examples of someone in offside position who has NOT infringed the offside law.

A. The 'confuses the keeper' scenario is one reason that IFAB/FIFA's recent rewrite of Law 11 eliminated any reference to distract/deceive of an opponent. It is NOT offside to be in an offside position unless one makes a challenge for the ball or interferes with the opponent's ability to see or play the ball. A wise keeper is (and should be) focused on the ball.

B. When the player in offside position is close enough to play, it is possible that she hindered the opponent's ability to see or play the ball. In your scenario, however, the player clearly did not. That the defender might have done something differently if no opponent was nearby is not enough.

The framers of the law want the offside flag to remain down when there is any doubt about interference with an opponent. The purpose is to enhance attacking soccer. Defenders have and must adjust to the evolving approach to offside. The law will not compensate for defender's mistakes.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Kareem
Many forget the opening line of Offside Law 11 which states that
''" It is not an offence in itself to be in an offside position.. ""
The player in an offside has to do something more which is defined in the Laws as becoming involved in active play by meeting one of the three offside conditions.
Now in scenario A the player in an offside position has done nothing illegal so there is no offence. He has placed himself in a poor position as he has excluded himself from getting involved in active play should the need arise. The goalkeeper really has one choice which is to go to the ball carrier to prevent that player from scoring. That is the coached advice.
In the 2nd B scenario it is slightly more involved as the referee has to consider whether the player in an offside position, when the ball was played, met one of the three offside conditions. We know he did not interfere with play by touching the ball, as described the player he did not interfere with an opponent by clearly obstructing the opponents line of vision or challenging an opponent for the ball so we are left with the question as to whether he gained an advantage by being in that position by playing a ball
"" i. that rebounds or is deflected to him off the goalpost, crossbar or an opponent having been in an offside position
ii. that rebounds, is deflected or is played to him from a deliberate save by an opponent having been in an offside position""
As the ball went to another player he also could not meet this "" gaining an advantage "" condition so there is no offence.
Now had the defender played the ball to the player in an offside position the Law tells us that a player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent, who deliberately plays the ball (except from a deliberate save), is not considered to have gained an advantage so again there is no offside offence.
So the only possible way for an offside to be called in the B scenario is that the ball deflects or rebounds off the defender to the player in an offside position.
Always remember that part of the game for the defending side is to make choices about how it defends and that involves judgement decisions including offside. Poor judgement of offside by a defender / goalkeeper is of no concern to the referee. The switched on defender may decide to let the ball go to the PIOP. He has to be sure though that his team mates are also switched on by not playing the attacker onside by their poor positioning.
You should also consider that IFAB the law making body has been trying in recent years to reduce the numbers of way that offside can be called. Going back many many years scenario A would never be called offside while perhaps scenario B might have been considered based on how close the players were together. The current offside Law says it is not offside and that is the only concern to the referee.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Kareem,
While you are not alone, in the sea of offside confusion, within the storm of controversy that continually revolves around LAW 11, it really does not have a lot of wave action to be scared of!

Our former editor Chuck Fleischer, rest his soul, has a fairly straight forward explanation of its application and usage just click on the link within the upper right of the ATR homepage.

FIFA and the IFAB denote 1 page to set out the context of the law and explain its application
FIFA QUOTE 'Offside position
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
Offence
A player in an offside position is only penalised if, at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team, he is, in the opinion of the referee, involved in active play by: • interfering with play or • interfering with an opponent or • gaining an advantage by being in that position
No offence
There is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from: • a goal kick • a throw-in • a corner kick
Infringements and sanctions
In the event of an offside offence, the referee awards an indirect free kick to the opposing team to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred (see Law 13 – Position of free kick) FIFA END QUOTE

The primary understanding of offside requires the realization that it is comprised of two separate elements!

{1}POSITION which is NOT an offence but does RESTRICT the player from further involvement in active play!.

{2}INVOLVEMENT in active play by a restricted player creates an infringement

Why is this hard to comprehend?

Waves of confusion are created by the continual MOVEMENT of the players, both defending and attacking, at speeds of 20 miles an hour, running in opposing directions, chasing a bouncing ball, moving at possibly twice that speed, if not more!

Another bit of a whirlpool moment is the restart location! Why? Because it goes BACK to that freeze frame moment of POSITION not the location of the involvement as the spot of the infringement. Plus given this indfk restart occurs within the defending mid or third of the field we are very generous with the restart location as not being from an exact blade of grass but rather (an over in that area) is sufficient!

Position is a FREEZE frame picture of ALL the participants, calculated at a single moment of time when a ball is LAST touched by a team mate.

ONCE a player is Frozen as being in an offside position he is restricted no matter what he does and where he goes because NOTHING an offside restricted player 'ORP' can do on his own will change anything

There are only three stages of play that could allow a restricted offside player to rejoin active play.

One - a NEW teammate's touch of the ball
(1) Condition one requires the former restricted offside player to no longer be in an offside position when this new touch occurs. Offside reset occurs at ANY teammate touch of the ball deliberate or accidental creating a NEW phase of play with a freeze frame snap shot of the new positioning of the players on the field

Two - opposing player plays/controls the ball
(2) Condition two must simply occur, offside position is not part of the equation because condition one no longer applies the former restricted offside player can legally contest ball possession if his opponents now have actually touched the ball with uncontested control/possession which frees a previously restricted offside positioned attacker to rejoin active play no matter his position on the field

BUT---: yup there is a but, a WAVE if you like, in our sea of tranquility
If the opponent/defender touch of the ball is deemed in the opinion of the officials to be a deflection/rebound this WILL NOT RESET nor change an attacking opponents restricted offside status!

Three - the ball goes out of play
(3) Condition three requires a restart of play!
Three restarts are free from any offside criteria by either team (Throw-in,corner kick, goal kick) where position is NOT a factor at the moment of the kick
A NEW positional offside evaluation will occur ONLY from the team taking the kick be it indk or direct as there is a new touch of ball by the attacking team/or team mates. The opponents are exempt because condition two now applies

Consider your B scenario!
Skill allows you to choose a technique best suited to make tactical choices. If you deliberately try to head a ball most likely it will be seen as a deliberate play thus resetting opposition ORP status to full speed ahead. The status of an opponent can be a tactical evaluation, it can use skill and technique to spring the trap successfully but offside is not always deliberately created though intelligent design. The laws states SPECIFFICALLY!!! IT IS NOT AN OFFENCE to be offside position! Defenders' thoughts are NOT considered in determining an ORP involvement!

'Is there any case for calling it an offside?'

In most case no, A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent, who deliberately plays the ball (except from a deliberate save), is not considered to have gained an advantage thus no offside. If the header was impractical in that it was miles too high and the ball barely brushes the hair or he was in the centre of goal trying to head the ball away as a save a referee could see it as a deflection/rebound and award an INDFK

.FIFA QUOTE 'gaining an advantage by being in that position" means playing a ball ii. that rebounds, is deflected or is played to him from a deliberate save by an opponent having been in an offside position.' end quote

You asked in your A scenario, 'Don't you think the keeper is at a disadvantage?' LOL Of course he is at a disadvantage, his idiot defenders let a, two on no one breakaway, set up shop in front of his goal! As for what he might decide to do, best concentrate on keeping the ball out of goal. In this case the keeper is not as decider, he is a hope(r), hoping for a break or to make a great save before he goes over and breaks his defenders' necks!


'Is there any case for calling it an offside?'

None what so ever! Nothing was done to impede the keeper from clearly seeing or playing the initial ball.



FIFA LAW 11 START QUOTE 'in the context of Law 11 – Offside, the following definitions apply:

• "nearer to his opponents' goal line" means that any part of a player's head, body or feet is nearer to his opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent. The arms are not included in this definition

• "interfering with play" means playing or touching the ball passed or touched by a team-mate

• "interfering with an opponent" means preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent's line of vision or challenging an opponent for the ball

• "gaining an advantage by being in that position" means playing a ball i. that rebounds or is deflected to him off the goalpost, crossbar or an opponent having been in an offside position ii. that rebounds, is deflected or is played to him from a deliberate save by an opponent having been in an offside position. A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent, who deliberately plays the ball (except from a deliberate save), is not considered to have gained an advantage' FIFA LAW 11 END QUOTE

If you have followed my lengthy response to this point I will grant you this blackhole loophole. It is possible in the Galactic offside befuddlement of all, for both teams to have ORPS on either side . I will pose this soon as a you call it scenario watch for it or see if you can figure it out now lol Cheers