Attacking team player 1 in offside position, in goal area, midway between posts, with last defender 2-3 feet behind and 2-3 feet to the side. Attacking team player 2 shoots ball which goes directly between the legs of player 1 in offside position and into goal. Would anyone call offsides and disallow goal?

Did player 1 interfere with any defender including the keeper? Hard to imagine the ball going between a player's legs and not interfering with a defender, if there was one nearby.

[Edited by CecilOne on Oct 28th, 2003 at 07:35 AM]

The keeper was in front of attacker 1 on the ground. The defender behind him was no more than 3 feet away and appeared to be visually screened by attacker 1. The ball went directly between attacker 1 legs. Wouldn't that be considered as being involved in the play, even though attacker 2 wasn't passing the ball to him?

Sorry, can't visualize the play as follows. If the keeper was on the ground in front of #1, I can't see the ball going through #1 legs and into goal? If the other defender was farther from goal than #1 and so was #2, I can't see that defender being screend by #1?

First, it is offside, singular, drop the "s". You sound like a fan, not an official.
Secondly, you answered your own question when you said that the defender behind him, who was presumably guarding the goal while the keeper went out, appeared to be visually screened by the attacker who was standing in an offside position. This is clearly "interfering with play or with an opponent" as it states in rule 11-1-3a. So, yes, it should be penalized and the goal should be disallowed.

I agree with Nevadaref.
I think that the confusion results from the "Law" that says that a second player is not called offside during a shot on goal.
However, that "Law" is not in the LOTG. It's not even in the College or High School rules. It is one of those folklore rulings like "everytime the ball touches the arm, it is a handball."

[Edited by KYRef2 on Oct 31st, 2003 at 07:02 AM]

Well, this concept does appear in the diagrams included in rule 11 in the NFHS rules book. Check diagrams 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 on pages 43, 44, and 45 of the 2003-4 rules book.

My point is that there is no rule that a second player can not be offside during a shot - that statement is an oversimplification.
The shot is not the critical factor. The critical factor is that, usually, a second player is not interefering or participating during a shot.

Agreed. The player may or may not be offside during the shot depending upon whether or not he is involved in active play.