Additional Guidance

1. Interfering with an opponent

Clarification

In addition to the situations already outlined in the Laws of the Game, a player in an
offside position shall also be penalised if he:

• clearly attempts to play a ball which is close to him if his action impacts on an opponent

or

• makes an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball

Guidance

• ‘clearly attempts’ – this wording is designed to prevent a player who runs towards the ball from quite a long distance being penalised (unless he gets close to the ball).
• ‘close’ is important so that a player is not penalised when the ball goes clearly over his head or clearly in front of him.

• ‘impact’ applies to an opponent’s ability (or potential) to play the ball and will include situations where an opponent’s movement to play the ball is delayed, hindered or prevented by the offside player.

However, just because a player is an offside position it does not always mean that he has an impact. For example:

• if the ball is on the right-hand side of the field and an ‘offside’ player in the centre of the field moves into a new attacking position he is not penalised unless this action affects an opponent’s ability to play the ball

• where a player tries to play the ball as it is going into the goal without affecting an opponent, or in situations where there is no opposition player near, he should not .be penalised

2. Save

Clarification
Law 11 outlines situations when an offside player is penalised by becoming involved inactive play and these include (p. 110):

• gaining an advantage by being in that position by playing a ball

1. that rebounds or is deflected off the goalpost, crossbar or an opponent
2. from a deliberate save by any opponent

A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent, who deliberately plays the ball (except from a deliberate save by any opponent), is not considered to have gained an advantage.

As indicated in the last sentence a ‘save’ can be made by any player and is not limited to the goalkeeper. Therefore, The IFAB wishes to clarify that:
A ‘save’ is when a player stops a ball which is going into or very close to the goal with any part of his body except his hands (unless the goalkeeper within his own penalty
area).

NB: This clarification is consistent with the use of the word ‘save’ in Law 12 – Offences
by the Goalkeeper (p122).