Question Number: 28773

Law 11 - Offside 9/22/2014

RE: Competive High School

Aarushi of Delhi, Delhi India asks...

Player A and Player B are my opponents. Player A is in offside position and Player B has the ball. As he moves forward I tackle him and kick the ball away. Player A gets the ball. Is he offside?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Aarushi
As you kicked the ball to Player A that cannot be offside. The ball must be played by a team mate of Player A for offside to apply. Had Player B kicked the ball and it deflects / rebounds off yourself to a player in an offside position that would be offside.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Aarushi,
When you deliberately played the ball it resets offside no matter you might have redirected or misplayed it to an offside player. So no offside!
This is not a deflection where the opponents' kick the ball at you and you have no time or space to react so it rebounds off of you.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

No. Your tackle is considered a deliberate play of the ball. That means that any opponent is eligible to play the ball regardless of position.

Note: offside position is determined the ball next is touched by a member of the opposing team.

Answer provided by Referee Gene Nagy

Aarushi,

If a defender passes the ball to an attacker, that attacker is not offside. It seems to me, you were that defender and you made the unintended pass, but pass nonetheless.

The sad thing is that if the attacker scored, you wouldn't even get an assist...

Answer provided by Referee Joe Manjone

Aarushi,

As indicated in NFHS Rule 11-1-3, a player shall only be penalized for being in a offside position if the ball was played by a teammate. Since you kicked (played) the ball to him, and you were not a teammate, he is not to be penalized for being in the offside position.

I hope that you have a successful season.