The International Football Association Board (IFAB), the organisation responsible for writing and amending regulations that govern world football has clarified on ammendments to the offside rule. The rule came under scrutiny following Sunday’s abondoned match between Highlanders and Dynamos at Barbourfields. The match had to be stopped following crowd trouble after Dynamos striker Christian Ntoupa Epoupa’s contested goal.
IFAB Technical Director David Elleray yesterday said:
If a defending player “deflects” a pass from an opponent which immediately goes to a player who was in an offside position then that player can be penalised for offside.
If a defending player deliberately plays the ball and it goes to a player who was in an offside position then that player is not penalised for offside. It does not matter if the ball does not go where the defender intended, if he played the ball deliberately then the Law does not exist to “save” his poor play.
In simple terms a “deflection” is when the player does not move towards the ball or make an attempt to play it (in effect he is “hit” by the ball).
More: Herald