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Originally Posted by RefSouthAlb
Here's the sitch
2 offensive person's on a breakaway having beat the 2nd last defender.
The person with the ball is challenged by the keeper and passes the ball:
1. Forward to his partner who scores
2. Back to his partner who scores.
Given the partner is behind the second last defender whem the ball is kicked are both situations off side?
I am watching the World Cup a few instances I have seen a similar play that hasn't been called off side.
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Hopefully, this will help make it clearer for you.
A. If the player is BEHIND the ball at the time it is played by a teammate, the player is ALWAYS onside.
B. If the player is AHEAD of the ball at the time it is played by a teammate, there MUST be TWO opponents (one of which could be the goalkeeper) nearer to the goal line than that player.
Now let's examine your two plays with the above in mind.
In both cases there is only one defender back. That defender is the goalkeeper as the last field player has been left in the dust by the two attackers.
Therefore, the location of the player relative to the location of the ball is the determining factor for the offside decision.
Simply look at if the player is farther from the goal line than the ball (BEHIND the ball) when his teammate passes it to him. If so, then the play is legal. If not, then an offside infraction has occurred.
Please note that the direction the ball is kicked does NOT matter. The ball may be passed forward and the teammate may have been BEHIND it at the time it was kicked, but then runs forward to receive it. That is fine.
However, the converse it not true. If the ball is kicked backward, but the player was in front of it (nearer to the goal line) when it was passed by the teammate, he may NOT run backwards and receive the ball behind the location of the passer. That is offside. The teammate's location is determined at the moment the ball is kicked. Movement after that does NOT change offside or onside decisions.