ISL: Why is Lallianzuala Chhangte's goal against Odisha FC not offside?

Mumbai City FC earned a win, courtesy of Lallianzuala Chhangte’s ‘controversial’ goal, but was this really controversial?

In the recent clash between Mumbai City FC and Odisha FC in the ISL 2023-24, Lallianzuala Chhangte found himself at the centre of a contentious goal-scoring moment. Despite protests from Odisha FC players claiming an offside infringement, Chhangte’s goal stood.

Let’s delve into the intricacies of the offside rule to understand why Chhangte’s goal was rightfully allowed.

At the heart of the offside rule lies the concept of positioning relative to the ball and the opponents’ defensive line. According to the rulebook, a player is in an offside position if they are nearer to the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last opponent (usually the last defender) when the ball is played to them.

However, there are exceptions to this rule, one of which involves the position of the player receiving the pass relative to their teammate. If a player is behind the teammate who passes the ball to them, they are not considered offside, even if they are ahead of the second-to-last defender. This exception is crucial in understanding why Lallianzuala Chhangte‘s goal was not offside.

As IFAB’s Laws of the Game says, “An attacker (C) is in an offside position, not interfering with an opponent, when a team-mate (A) passes the ball to player (B1) in an onside position who runs towards the opponents’ goal and passes the ball (B2) to team-mate (C). Attacker (C) cannot be penalised because when the ball was passed to him, he was in an onside position.”

In the scenario involving Chhangte’s goal, the critical factor was the positioning of Jorge Pereyra Diaz, Chhangte’s teammate who provided the pass. Chhangte was behind Diaz when the ball was played to him, placing him in an onside position despite being ahead of the last defender from the opposing team.

This interpretation aligns with the fundamental principle of the offside rule, which aims to prevent players from gaining an unfair advantage by positioning themselves closer to the opponents’ goal line. Chhangte’s positioning relative to the ball and his teammate Diaz ensured that he did not breach this principle, thus validating the decision to allow his goal.

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