Offside

[RefJef]

First game of my season today, on the line, thoroughly enjoyed it, glad to back (especially after an injury in early April curtailed the end of my last season)

Thoughts on this please.

Red attacker takes ball to corner flag and plays it back to a team mate. Play continues, red player stops to have a breather by corner flag (still on the pitch) as play continues. Red striker is now, say, 5 metres offside, but not involved in the game.

Suddenly, ball gets lumped forward towards him, but doesn’t get beyond last defender (defender doesn’t touch ball).

However, our hero in red senses glory and runs back (towards his goal), passing the last defender to collect the ball. I raise my flag, ref blows, IDFK for offside given. A couple of questions from reds, but no real complaints.

At the time I was happy with my decision, but would like confirmation (or otherwise) that I was right.

In a nutshell, the ball was “never offside”, but red came back from an offside position to play it, was I right to flag?

 

[cwyeary]

Don't overthink it. You were 100% right based on your description. The player was in an offside position the last time a team mate touched the ball and then interfered with play.

 

[one]

I don't see how this could not be offside. Well done for flagging it.

 

[Hoosier Ref]

I'm assuming "lumped" means played by his teammate. Absolutely correct. Came back from offside position to play the ball. Good call

 

[CapnBloodbeard]

an attacker can't 'put themselves back onside' by running back past the defence (until offside is reset by an attacking touch, defender playing it, or a restart of play).
It doesn't matter where the ball is retrieved - it's the position of the attacker when the ball is kicked. Good decision.

 

[Peter Grove]

I can't really see why you're doubting yourself here. Was the player in an offside position when the ball was played by a team mate? Based on your description, yes he was. Did the player then become involved in active play? Again, by your description, yes he did. So an offside offence has occurred.

I think part of your confusion seems to be related to your reference to the fact that "the ball was never offside." However it's not the position of the ball itself that matters, only the position of the player in relation to the ball.

 

[one]

The ball can never be in an offside position because it can't be closer to a goal line than itself (I know what you meant Peter but I couldn't help it)

I think there was no confusion. Just some doubt due to protest because the player became active in an onside position. Some players look for any excuse to complain even if they know they are not right. Just about any player knows offside position is decided when the ball is kicked by a team mate. Any televised game has at least one offside decision replay with a freeze frame at the time the ball was kicked.

 

[Tino Best]

Good call. Bang on

 

[BCMilan]

Yep, I agree. Good decision that. Well played , mate.

It proves how useful this forum can be, as I bet there are refs out there that may have been unsure on this (or other matters) but were too scared to ask anybody.

 

[RefJef]

Thanks all for your comments.

At the time, I didn’t doubt myself at all, it was just one of those when, on the drive home, you go through the game again and I just thought “hang on, perhaps I should just check I was right on this.”

As for the ball (never) being offside, I just thought this was quite a useful shorthand to try and illustrate the scenario.

Thanks again.

J

 

[Peter Grove]

The ball can never be in an offside position

That's what I said - that the position of the ball doesn't matter (i.e. it can't be in an offside position). It was the OP (@RefJef) who said the ball was "never offside".

 

[OIREF!]

From your description I'd have not hesitation in flagging for offside.