An Offside Issue -- Is Touching the Ball a Requirement?

[TheJPDH]

If he doesn't move the ball doesn't go in so yes he is interfering with play. Clearly offside.

[dannypineda]

@TheJPDH it doesnt matter if he moves or not, it matters if he would have changed the play. obviously the ball was going in. if he would have said something to the goalie while it was going in to distract him. then flag goes up. he clearly wants no part of the play

[TheJPDH]

@dannypineda Fair point.

[SJRCS011Productions]

It depends on what the referee thinks. In the Laws of the Game, 2011-2012, it just says " interfering with play...interfering with an opponent...gaining an advantage by being in that position". Some referees may call it, some may not. It is all "In the opinion of the referee."

[cphthomsen]

Its 100% offside.. He interferes with the game being in the line from the place it was struck and towards he goal. Fifa's Laws of football says:

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

So no doubt. He is offside in this situation!

[88wardie]

@cphthomsen correct quote incorrect application and in fact this example is specifically given in the guidelines as an example of not offside. the line irrelevant .. he doesn't interfer with play (this is interepreted in guidelines as touches the ball) he doesn't interfer with an opponent and he doesn't gain an advantage by being there (guidelines limt this clause to rebounds off opponents or posts) So 100% onside and the guidlines show this specifically.

[bdriz16]

He wasn't involved play...not offside.

[supahdupahguy81]

he didn't touch the ball or impede the keeper so it's a goal...

[jerban100]

regardless, any striker should realize they will immediately be put offsides if they are standing on the goal line and should step up the field

[Stuartcgsb]

i would say hes not gaining an advantage, hes not interfering with the keep so i'd keep my flag down personally

[Lifespenalty]

As a ref i will tell you the rule. the player must gain an advantage from the offside position. In most cases that means touching the ball, but on rare cases it could be more than that. As a ref you have to watch the play and decide did the player gain an advantage fromthe offside position.

[88wardie]

@Lifespenalty As a ref I will tell you that just isn't the law. The gain an advantage clause only applies to rebounds off opponents or goalposts. So besides such a rebound the player is only offside if he interfers with play (touches the ball) or interfers with an opponent (prevents an opponent from playing the ball)

[sayedhamoto]

I think it is not an offside , because he didnt obstruct the goal keeper

[willact723]

The LOG's (as of 2008) CLEARLY state that "dummying" (if you would choose to use that word in this case) is NOT considered playing the ball. Currently (May 2010) the AR should NOT raise their flag for offside until the player in the offside position actually touches the ball to give his or her team an unfair advantage.

[lydayjr]

not offside- player was not involved and jumped to avoid the ball without interfering with anyone else.

[lapczynski1]

nie ma spalonego. Nie przeszkadza bramkarzowi ani sam nie czerpie korzysci ze spalonego

[ershlaft]

the player is clearly offside but somepeople want a no call cos its so close to a goal. jumping to avoid contact is called/considered interfering with play. fifa def. any gesture toward play or an opponent by and OS player is judged to be offside, period.

[ershlaft]

what would've happened if he hadn't jumped?

you shd know the ans. clear cut, right so follow the rational to call the offside.

[rdarfi]

@ershlaft Please could you show me where this is stated in the Laws Of The Game? 2010-2011 Fifa LOTG Page 102 clearly shows this is NOT offside. Page 100 also gives the definitions which clearly explains this is NOT offside. He is not interfering with play because he did NOT touch the ball. He is not interfering with an opponent because he did NOT prevent an opponent from getting the ball. He is not gaining an advantage because he did NOT receive the ball from from a rebound.

[gestapo81]

that's not an offside.the player was in an inactive offside position.his position did not afected the play.

[mbmcnulty0429]

not offside...clearly not invloved with play...was not in way of goalie...did not gain advantage

[robm99x]

From an unprofessional's perpsective, the OS player in the goal did not interfere with the play and thus is not offsides.

[Youvebeenhunted]

if it was ruled offside it was most likely because the ref fealt that he was in the goalies way of diving?

[uefa84]

well in fifa rules, the player doesnt necessarily has to touch the ball to be offside, if the player is interfering the play in any way, then it can be offside, but in this situation when the shots taken, the player doesnt interfere, because whether hes there or not that ball is going into the net.

[Paintballpdh19]

exactly right and im a certified ussf referee.

[Choo69]

not directly involved in play in any way. not offside.

[kelson108]

i think drake is right if offside postion player doesnt have any effect on goal its not offsides , but i wonder if sheilding the goalie could be considered affecting the play?,, and secondly why is that douchbag ansarbano so mad lol

[cooners01]

not interfereing, ive seen it happpen before its not offside

[ansarbano]

..all these ass holes pls go read ur rule book.. secondly..unless if there is another player who is onside.and also another offside player.going to play (from the lines man point of view)..then we got to wait and see who touches the ball...if not..if just 1 player who is offside..no need to wait and see!

* off-side only if behind the second-last defender. not the last defender. the goalkeeper is also know as a defender of a team..ASSHOLES!

[futbolmania23]

Profanity excepted - that is why Law 11 says 2nd last opponent - not defender. Otherwise u are correct.

[kelson108]

ty for clarification , it seems a lot of refs especially youth refs get this wrong. Bad calls part of game but frustrating when your players try to follow rule!

[harare]

That is real Offside..

[drake1636]

if the OS player touches the ball than its offside if he doesn't touch it it isn't

[futbolmania23]

Not entirely true. Example: Attacker in OS position. teammate plays a through ball that the OS player chases along with other teammate not OS. Neither player touches the ball, but they are within 2 ft of GK when she tries to field it. The presence of the OS player distracts the GK and she bobbles the ball. Onside attacker shoots and scores. Since OS attacker distracted the GK an infraction of Law 11 has occurred. No goal. IFK to defending team.

[glgogfg]

Even if he did touch it, he didn't control the ball, so onside.

[futbolmania23]

Not true. Only the attacker can by rule be in an offside position. If you touch the ball while you are in an offside position, you have involved yourself in play, therefore you are OS - no goal. In this case, he does not touch the ball, so no OS infraction - goal counts.

If he were a def. and the ball deflected off of him and it went to an Attacker in an OS position, the attacker is OS. If the def. controls the ball, the OS status of the attacker is reset.

[glgogfg]

Well I'm thoroughly confused now.

[futbolmania23]

Law 11 states that a player is only penalized for OS if 1 of 3 things happen while in an OS position:

1.)Touches or plays the ball last touched by his teammate

2.) Interferes with an opponent trying to play the ball

3.) Gains an adv. by being in OS position

THe last one usually relates to receiving the ball from a deflection off the def or the goal post. The player in the clip was definately in OS position, but never violated 1 of the 3 criteria. You said he had to control it, but see #1

[glgogfg]

I've never read the written rules, but thanks.

[buccos2324]

Yeah I don't understand why they dont change the rules. In the 2008 rule book, interfering with play means touching the ball. But this memorandum regarding making a credible move to the ball was established in2006. The 2008 rule book says NOTHING about making a credible move to the ball.

I personally think the player should not be called offside unless he touches the ball, but my opinion doesn't really matter.

[bozcro4lyf]

Ok think of it this way. You have a player standing in front of the goal keeper who is in an offside position. An attacker takes a shot from outside of the box and goes in the bottom left hand corner. Then player that was standing in front of the goal keeper didn't touch the ball, but he was interfering with active play and gained an advantage by being in that position. Think about it. I think the law is fine how it is now.

[kelson108]

what if the offside player , doesnt touch ball but sheilds goalie or interferes in some way with a defender?

[futbolmania23]

If a player in an offside position influences the play directly, they are considered to be in violation of Law 11. This includes shielding the GK or impeding a defender.

[hobbit25]

he's in an offside postion, yes, but he has not obstructed or taken part in the play in any manner, therefore it is not offside.

[RadicalxRepublican]

It is not 'offsides' it is 'offside'.

And I agree; the player in the net was not interfering with play in any maner what so ever. He made an obivous atempt to remove himself from the play and did so.

No offside infraction.

[buccos2324]

You're right. As of 2009, the player must touch the ball to be interfering with play. He definitely did not interfere with an opponent, and he didn't gain an advantage.

So, no offside!

[lydayjr]

i have heard that but if th player interferes its also offside too. for example- the offside player stands in front of the goalie.

[JohnAgiaParaskevi]

it is not offside.. the player in the goal doesn't influence the chance..

[hockey844]

was it called offsides?