The Ref Stop

Offside yes/no rebound off a defender

M

mcaman

New Member
Level 7 Referee
Hi, I'm new to this site so be gentle with me.... Happened twice to me now. Attacker in an offside position gains possession of the ball after a defender tried to clear the ball and it rebounds straight back to the attacker off the back of another defender, the attacker plays through or shoots at goal. Surely as it was not a deliberate pass back the attacker must be offside ? Scuse the stupid question.
 
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The Ref Stop
Hi!

I have to say, I'm struggling to understand from your question when the pass from the attacker's teammate has occurred? This is key for there to be an offside offence - if the defender has the ball in his control and scuffs a clearance "backwards" to an attacker in an offside position, there is no offside offence
 
Attacker is offside and not active or interfering. Defender tries to clear the ball, hits the back of another defender and straight to attacker.
 
In that case, I would say no offside.

Remember that to be offside, he has to be in an offside position "at the moment the ball is played or touched by a teammate", not at the moment he receives the ball. It therefore stands to reason that if the ball is not played by a teammate at all in the relevant phase of play, it cannot be an offside offence.
 
For a player to not gain the advantage from being in an offside position, it has to be a deliberate attempt by the defender to play the ball. The original defender deliberately plays the ball, so the player would be onside (well, he's in an offside position but Play would continue). But because it's hit the back of a defender who (I assume) is unaware, that's not a deliberate pass. So I would call for the offside. Close one if I'm honest. If there is a save by a member of the defending team, this doesn't class as a deliberate attempt to play the ball. It's all in the lawbook :)

Welcome to the forum by the way :)
 
But he was in an offside position before the defender tried to clear the ball, the defender then kicked the ball away from goal, hit the back of another defender and it pinged back towards goal reaching the Attacker who was still in an offside positon.
 
If the ball has gone directly to an attacker following a deliberate attempt to play the ball by a defender, then the player should not be penalised for being in an offside position.
 
I nearly caused WW3 in a game earlier in the season with a similar 'not offside' call... Had to get my la la la la ears on with them trying to tell me i was wrong....
 
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Sheffields Finest said:
I nearly caused WW3 in a game earlier in the season with a similar 'not offside' call... Had to get my la la la la ears on with them trying to tell me i was wrong....
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Lack of knowledge is the biggest ball ache!
 
DB said:
If the ball has gone directly to an attacker following a deliberate attempt to play the ball by a defender, then the player should not be penalised for being in an offside position.
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I understand the written law, its the fact the defender tried to clear it and it rebounded back to the offside attacker, how can that be deemed deliberate so surely he is offside?
 
Law 11.....

Gaining an advantage by being in an offside position
"playing a ball that rebounds or is deflected to him off the goalpost, crossbar or an opponent having been in an offside position; or that rebounds, is deflected or is played to him from a deliberate save by an opponent having been in an offside position"[5]:108

Since offside is judged at the time the ball is touched or played by a teammate, not when the player receives the ball, it is possible for a player to receive the ball significantly past the second-to-last opponent, or even the last opponent, without committing an offence.
 
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If a defender deliberately plays/clears the ball and it hits another defender before going to the attacker it sounds 100% not offside to me. Comedy goal, maybe but a legal one.
 
Perhaps I've misunderstood this scenario, but aren't we missing the obvious point?

The defender clears the ball - so regardless of whether of not it subsequently hits another defender, the attacker can't be offside when receiving the ball from an opponent.

If the attacker was active and offside before the defender clears the ball we can give offside for that, but once the defender hoofs the ball upfield (albeit straight into the backside of his teammate) we have entered a new phase of play.
 
If the clearance were a save, e.g. off the line, then the attacker is offside.
If the clearance were just a deliberate hoof up field attacker is onside.
 
RefJef said:
Perhaps I've misunderstood this scenario, but aren't we missing the obvious point?

The defender clears the ball - so regardless of whether of not it subsequently hits another defender, the attacker can't be offside when receiving the ball from an opponent.

If the attacker was active and offside before the defender clears the ball we can give offside for that, but once the defender hoofs the ball upfield (albeit straight into the backside of his teammate) we have entered a new phase of play.
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This is the point I was trying to make. If the defender has the ball clearly under control before he clears it, that would be a new phase of play to me, which means there is no way it can be offside until an attacker touches it to a player in an offside position.

If the clearance is also an interception of a pass aimed at that offside attacker in the first place, there's a case that it could be offside, although I still think we need to know more to give it.
 
Regardless of the phase of play, the law is simple...
"A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent who deliberately plays the ball (except from a deliberate save by any opponent) is Not considered to have gained an advantage."

It is clear that the attacker must receive the ball from a defender who deliberately plays the ball. The defender who's back It his has not deliberately played that ball. It sounds to me rather that it hit him accidentally. Offside.
 
The only way I can see this being offside is if the attacker interferes with his opponent someway. The scenario described is covered by this little snippet from the law book I think:
A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent who
deliberately plays the ball (except from a deliberate save by any opponent) is
not considered to have gained an advantage.
Law 11 Page 78.
 
The key word James is deliberate.

In my opinion, the scenario here details that whilst the initial clearance was deliberate, the final touch came off the defender, unbeknown to him. Therefore, that can't be a deliberate attempt to play the ball, which means the attacker has gained the advantage by being stood in an offside position.
 
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