Offside oddity

[crossref]

Red fly hack the ball through the blue defence and players from both teams chase it

blue 7 gets to ball first, tries to gather it but loses control, knocking the ball toward the blue line , (ie no knock on, play on)

Blue 9 was chasing behind Blue 7 , ie in front of his team mate who last played the ball .. he continues to chase the ball and he beats two chasing red players to the ball and gathers it


Q was Blue 9 offside ?

[Decorily]

It's not clear to me whether Blue 9 had passed Blue 7 by the time they played the ball.

If I'm visualising properly then if 9 had passed 7 when they played the ball then no offside

[OB..]

When Blue 7 fumbles backwards, that sets the offside line. The ball is now on the safe side of that line, so any Blue player who gets to it must have got past the offside line and is therefore onside.

[Zebra1922]

If he has played it backwards i.e. no knock on, I don't believe the offside lawyer being in front of the player applies, therefore for me not offside.

If blue 7 had knocked it on and blue 9 played it then yes, offside.

[Decorily]

When Blue 7 fumbles backwards, that sets the offside line. The ball is now on the safe side of that line, so any Blue player who gets to it must have got past the offside line and is therefore onside.

No....you imply that the offside line is 'set' at the place where the ball was played. The offside, as such, in this scenario is dependant on where the last player to play the ball is.

[Decorily]

If he has played it backwards i.e. no knock on, I don't believe the offside lawyer being in front of the player applies, therefore for me not offside.

If blue 7 had knocked it on and blue 9 played it then yes, offside.

Offside applies whether the ball is knocked on, knocked back or otherwise played.

[crossref]

So there are three possibilities

To get onside Blue 9 has to get behind
1 the place the ball was played
2 blue 7 (the player who played it)
3 the ball

Adding to context: after fumbling the ball Blue 7, of course, continues as best he can to move toward the ball.

Anyone want to try a Law Reference to support one of those ?

[Decorily]

So there are three possibilities

To get onside Blue 9 has to get behind
1 the place the ball was played
2 blue 7 (the player who played it)
3 the ball

Adding to context: after fumbling the ball Blue 7, of course, continues as best he can to move toward the ball.

Anyone want to try a Law Reference to support one of those ?

It's simply 2.

[Dickie E]

It's simply 2.

but if Blue 7 continues to run/move - quickly - towards his own goal line, how can Blue 9 ever get onside?

[Decorily]

but if Blue 7 continues to run/move - quickly - towards his own goal line, how can Blue 9 ever get onside?

He can't! !!

EDIT.... Well he can be put onside but in simplistic terms which is what I think you mean ....he can't.