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Soccer Rules Changes 1580-2000


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Question Number: 28799

Law 11 - Offside 9/29/2014

RE: Competetive Under 17

Jerzy Dabrowski of London, London England asks...

Blues are attacking and blue midfielder plays the ball over the top to his tall centre forward, who is in an onside position.

The Blues small centre forward is 5 yards away from the onisde, tall centre forward but the small CF is in an OFFSIDE position.

The tall centre forward controls the ball and runs towards the goal, with just the keeper to beat. As he does so, the small CF gets back into an onside position behind the tall CF.

The tall CF draws the keeper out, passes the ball forward to the still onside small CF who scores.

Assistant Ref (Club Linesman) flags for offside against the small CF for the original offside (when the ball was played by the other CF).

I allow the goal.

Was I correct?

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Jerzy
As described you were correct. It is not an offence to be in an offside position so when the ball was played forward to the tall forward, his teammate, unless he interfered with an opponent, could not be called offside. The control by the tall forward then began a new phase of play and when he played the ball to his team mate that player was by then in an onside position.
The problem with many club linesmen is that they are not up to date on onside. He will have seen the ball played through and the small forward will have been in an offside position. In the past that might have been called offside or some AR don't see the control by an onside team mate as beginning a new phase of play.
I hear it all the time. Hey ref there was two / three of them offside? That is not possible. Only one player can be offside.



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Answer provided by Referee James Sowa

Jerzy;

Ref McHugh describes it pretty well. In your scenario, when did the AR put the flag up? If he did it on the original ball over the top, then maybe the small center was interfering or preventing an opponent from playing the ball. If not, it seems that your AR just needs to be reminded that offside resets with each touch of the ball by the attacking team. Sounds like you nailed it though.



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Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Hi Jerzy,
100% spot on mate!
Once the NEW touch of the ball by our onside tall blue forward occurs, it reset the offside for our diminutive little blue counterpart!
As mentioned by Ref Sowa it is a possibility your smallish offside player may have affected an opponent from getting to the ball so that your onside guy could get to it first. So be aware that interfering with an opponent might apply, because an AR should not pop a flag until the offside player is 100% actually involved. That applies to all 3 offside criteria . Ask yourself HOW that could be in deciding to wave off a flag.
As long as our wee friend was BEHIND the ball , the ball being closer to the opposing goal line than he, when it was last touched forward by the tall blue striker there is no possible offside. To run onto a free ball and looking offsideish is not an infringement nor was once being offside earlier, any cause for concern. New touch by a team mate. NEW conditions apply! Well done!
Cheers



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Offside Question?

Offside Explained by Chuck Fleischer & Richard Dawson, Former & Current Editor of AskTheRef

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