Question Number: 21555

Law 11 - Offside 6/17/2009

RE: Rec Under 19

Jeff of Orange County, California USA asks...

An attacker leaves the field of play, with the referees permission at a spot on the touchline 10 yards from the defenders goal line. Sometime later the referee waves the player on just before a teammate booms the ball over all of the defenders who are now up by the halfway line with only the goal keeper in their half of the field. The player enters the field near the halfway line, in his own half, just after his teammate kicks the ball. He chases after the ball and is first to reach it and play it. Is he guilty of offside?

If he is offside, would the restart be an IFK at a spot on the touchline 10 yards from the goalline where the player left the field?

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

Now I am slightly confused but I will try to piece this together?

You say he left the field only 10 yards from the opposition's goal line with the referee's permission? To fix something injury etc... Then he must have gone to his technical area to be treated or get what it was he left for then he entered his side of the midline. Given he re-entered with the referee's permission offside is not possible. This is NOT where he left independently without the referee's permission to which he could be held accountable as to where he exited as still on the field for the purposes of judging offside!

You answered your own question by saying he entered in his OWN half? Look at law 11 offside, where can you NOT be judged in an offside position to start?
Yep when you are in your own half of the field!
Running after a ball into the oppositions half is no reason to declare an onside player now offside as it simply is not part of offside criteria!

Cheers

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

At the moment the ball was touched or played by a teammate, the player was not on the field of play. He entered with the referee's position from his own half. Why would anyone think he cannot become involved in play. Is there any doubt whether he is in offside position? Of course there is doubt. If any doubt exists, he is not offside.
For Law 11, a DEFENDER who steps off the field of play temporarily is treated as being at the spot where he left the field, and if off the field with the referee's permission is not considered at all for purpose of offside position. (This will be added to the FIFA Interpretations and Guidelines next season.) There is no such rule for the attackers. An attacker who is steps off the field of play when the ball is touched may be cautioned for unsporting behavior if the referee concludes that the attacker stepped off for a tactical reason of appearing not to be involved in play and then rejoined play. There is no such tactical concern, however, when the attacker has waited for and received the referee's permission to enter.

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See Question: 21573