How to successfully determine deliberate play vs. deflection (non-deliberate)

Picture this: A ball is crossed into the penalty area on its way to an attacker in an offside position. A defender is in between them.

What you observe about the next touch is important, especially in determining if offside should be declared and penalized. If the ball goes directly to the teammate: Easy, raise the flag.

It’s when you need to determine if the defender made a deliberate play on the ball or if it’s a deflection (or non-deliberate play) that things aren’t always as easy.

The NCAA rule states: “11.2.4 A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent who deliberately plays the ball, including by deliberate handball, is not considered to have gained an advantage, unless it was a deliberate save by any opponent. A save occurs when a player stops, or attempts to stop, a ball that is going into the goal, or is very close to it, using any part of the body except the hands/arms (unless the player is a goalkeeper within the penalty area).”

So, how do we determine if the defender made a deliberate play? This is where, in the scenario stated above, knowing things about the defender such as position, body orientation and distance from the ball come in. It’s no longer, did they take a clear deliberate action and control didn’t matter? It goes deeper when evaluating the action now.

NCAA is aligned with IFAB on this rule so let’s look at the guidelines IFAB has for deliberate play:

“A ‘deliberate play’ is when a player has control of the ball with the possibility of:

• passing the ball to a team-mate; or

• gaining possession of the ball; or

• clearing the ball (e.g. by kicking or heading it)

If the pass, attempt to gain possession or clearance by the player in control of the ball is inaccurate or unsuccessful, this does not negate the fact that the player ‘deliberately played’ the ball.”

How do we determine if they had control or ability to control?

• Look at distance and view – Did the ball travel a long distance and did the defender have a clear view of it?

• Speed of the ball – Was the ball coming at a rapid pace or slow? The slower the pace, the easier it is to control.

• Direction of the ball – Did the ball come from an expected direction?

• Time to move and ability to orient their body – Did the defender have to stretch, jump, instinctively lunge or move their body to try to play the ball? Was the contact on the ball controlled?

• Height of the ball – Is the ball on the ground or in the air? A ball moving on the ground is easier to play than a ball in the air.

Also, note, that when we do have a deliberate play by a defender, it resets the offside and play will continue. This sometimes comes from a “misplay” from a defender and can catch us by surprise. It’s important to read the body language of the defender playing the ball and anticipate the possibility of this action.

Determining a deliberate or non-deliberate action by a defender is often a collaborative effort so it’s important for everyone to be aware of what to look for and review in pregame how you will communicate with each other when the time comes. Remember, this can be a shared responsibility where the referee or assistant referee only have a piece of the puzzle and the crew must work together to get to the correct decision. It’s imperative to know the guidelines and use the terminology if there’s a need to discuss.

Just like other parts of officiating a match, success in offside starts with being prepared for the decision. Be proactively thinking through the guidelines before the defender takes an action, you’ll have an easier time when the decision needs to be made.