Question Number: 21545

Law 11 - Offside 6/15/2009

RE: Rec Under 15

Terry Carrington of Oklahoma City, OK USA asks...

I had a situation come up in a game where I was one of the AR's.

Team A is attacking and is about 10 yards inside Team B's half when they lose possession to a defender who at the time is the second to last defender. Most of Team A turns and begins to run upfield. The defender attempts to play a long ball but hits one of the Team A players in the back as they are running upfield. The ball rebounds over the second to last defender directly to a Team A player who is in an offside position.

I kept my flag down reasoning that the ball had been played to the player in an OP by a defender.

Was the Team A player offside? I doubted my decision later, but it did not lead to a goal and so didn't appear to affect the outcome. I was glad that it did not occur closer to the 18.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Terry,
The flag was required to be up so lock it in the mind for next time ok?

Offside position is determined at each and ANY touch of the ball by a team-mate be it accidentally or deliberately.

Even if you were satisfied that the defending player had clear uncontested ball possession and control so the clearance was not a miss kick or deflection on HIS part which IF true then offside positional restriction criterion on the opposition are not reset from an earlier touch of the ball .

The NEW ball to player contact off the back of the team mate resets offside for that player's team and any offside positioned team-mates are restricted from involvement from that moment on!

The defending player kicking the ball into an attacking opponent which then deflects to the attacker's team-mate who was offside positioned when his team-mate deflected/rebounded the ball is RESTRICTED from involvement and if he plays the ball he is guilty of interfering with play INDFK out!

The most confusing aspect about a deflection is it changes nothing for the OTHER team with regards to offside criteria but resets offside position immediately for the team that made contact with the ball however deliberate, miniscule, accidentally or weirdly it occurred.
Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

Offside is evaluated at each and every touch of the ball by a teammate, intentional or not. Sounds like you got this call wrong.

Perhaps you were remembering the opposite situation, when a player from team A deflects the ball off a player from B, to an offside-positioned teammate on A. In that case, the deflection does not reset the offside considerations; it takes a controlled play by the opponents to do that.

Answer provided by Referee Keith Contarino

Terry, always remember that offside is judged at the moment the ball is played OR TOUCHED by a teammate. Although the ball was 'played' by an opponent, it touched a teammate. If the attacking player was in offside position when the ball was touched by his teammate, he may not play the ball.