Offside Decisions
Deliberate vs Deflection

What is Deliberate vs Not Deliberate? (Also called Deliberate vs Deflection) - When a ball is played by an attacker and it goes to a defender we must make a decision on if the touch by the defender is a deliberate play by them or if it was not deliberate. In this page we are going to break down all the parts that go into making this decision for Assistant Referees but we must never forget that a lot of the time this is a team work decision that includes the referee.

In all of these decisions we are assuming that the attacker who receives the ball, after it contacts the defender, was in an offside position.

What do we do if the decision is Deliberate Touch - An Offside offense can not longer be committed
What do we do if the decision is NOT Deliberate Touch - The original decision from the when the attacker played the ball still stands. OFFSIDE

IFAB Definition of ‘Deliberate play’

Deliberate play is when a player has control of the ball with the possibility of:

  • passing the ball to a teammate; 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.

What Constitutes a deliberate play?

  • The ball travelled from distance and the player had a clear view of it

  • The ball was not moving quickly

  • The direction of the ball was not unexpected

  • The player had time to coordinate their body movement

  • It was not a case of instinctive stretching or jumping, or a movement that achieved limited contact/control

  • A ball moving on the ground is easier to play than a ball in the air

Our Considerations when making the decision

  • Action vs. Reaction - Was the movement by the defender just a reaction to the ball being played and trying to block the ball? OR was this clear movement toward the ball to pass or control it?

  • Ability to see the ball - Was the defender clearly able to see the ball before they played it or were they obstructed by a teammate / opponent?

  • Distance - How much distance was there between the ball and the defender when it was played? The less distance the less likely the defender had time to clearly act

  • Time - How much time did the defender have to act on the ball? The less time a defender has to act the less likely they are to deliberately act on the ball

  • Speed of the ball - The faster the ball is moving the more difficult it will be for the defender to control the ball

  • Movement to the ball - The more movement the ball has the more difficult it will be to control the ball. A ball in the air is more difficult to control than a ball on the ground.

Additional Considerations to take into account

Does the player have control of their body? - If the defender is off balance, leaning, stumbling or in another way not in control of their body they won’t be able control the ball.

Is the defender Stretching? - If the Defender is stretching to get to the ball, with their feet / legs or their head, they are not likely to be able to control the ball the way they want to.

Does the player have control of the ball? - Is the defender easily able to control the ball or is the ball bouncing, skipping, moving fast, or in any other way difficult to control it is not deliberate.

To be considered a deliberate play, the Referee must be 100% sure.  If there is doubt about control of the body and control of the ball, consider the situation a deflection/offside.

Visit IFAB’s website here to see video explanations of Deliberate vs not Deliberate play - https://www.theifab.com/news/law-11-offside-deliberate-play-guidelines-clarified/