Offside or not?

[RefJef]

Yellow 9 in an offside position. Ball gets kick upfield by yellow centre back. White 4 and yellow 7 both jump to head the ball. White 4 is behind yellow 7 playing him onside.

Scenario 1: Yellow 7 wins the aerial battle, flicking the ball on to yellow 9, who plays it. Offside.

Scenario 2: Yellow 7 flicks the ball on, but it then comes off the head of white4, on to yellow 9, who plays it. Offside or not?

On the one hand it could be argued that white 4 has "deliberately played the ball" - he leapt to head it, and that is what has happened, but it could also be argued that the ball has been deflected off white 4?

Thoughts?

 

[Mintyref]

If you determine it was a deliberate play of the ball by the defender it's offside, if you don't it isn't. All down to the OOTR.....

 

[Russell Jones]

For me, as soon as Yellow 7 heads it (even if only a slight flick) then the question becomes 'does White 4 choose to deliberately play the ball AFTER the touch'. If no, then it's a deflection and therefore offside. If yes, then play on ...

In my most recent game on the line, I had a (particularly vocal) player scream 'Eff Off lino, the defender played it' when I flagged him offside after what was clearly a deflection off the defender rather than a deliberate play of the ball. Fortunately the referee took advantage of this outburst to caution him for dissent after which he piped down a bit!

 

[Peter Grove]

Yellow 7 flicks the ball on, but it then comes off the head of white 4

This sounds to me like a pretty clear description of a deflection, especially given that the two players are jumping to head the same ball so the distance between them is going to be minimal.

If you had a scenario where, without any touch by Yellow, White 4 jumps to head the ball but mistimes his jump and the ball skims off the top of his head to Yellow 9 then you have a much trickier decision to make.

FIFA has published some guidelines on how to distinguish between a deliberate play and a deflection (and which I believe were posted previously on here) as follows:

Deliberate Play: Player moving towards the ball; The ball is expected; A deliberate act; Enough time to play; Balanced and ready to play; The ball is properly played

Deflection: Ball moving towards the player; Finds the ball coming against him; An instinctive reaction attempt to play the ball; Not enough time to play the ball; Has to find his balance first; The ball deflects from the player

These seem like fairly sensible guidelines, but I would have to say that I'm having a little trouble finding full justification for every one of these distinctions within the wording of the Laws themselves.

 

[bloovee]

Deliberate Play: Player moving towards the ball; The ball is expected; A deliberate act; Enough time to play; Balanced and ready to play; The ball is properly played

Deflection: Ball moving towards the player; Finds the ball coming against him; An instinctive reaction attempt to play the ball; Not enough time to play the ball; Has to find his balance first; The ball deflects from the player

Is that Player moving towards the ball; and The ball is expected; and A deliberate act; and Enough time to play; and Balanced and ready to play; and The ball is properly played ?

What if it's all the criteria satisfied except the last - and what does "the ball is properly played" mean anyway? What would be "improperly played"?