Offside is the rule fans argue about most, yet the idea is simple: an attacker may not wait behind the defence for the ball. Here is how it works in practice.

The offside position

A player is in an offside position if any part of the head, body or feet is in the opponents' half (not counting the halfway line) and nearer to the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent. The goalkeeper usually counts as one of those last two opponents. Hands and arms are ignored, because players cannot legally play the ball with them.

A player level with the second-last opponent, or level with the last two opponents, is not offside.

Being offside is not an offence by itself

Standing in an offside position is allowed. The offence happens only if, at the moment a teammate plays or touches the ball, the player becomes involved in active play by:

  • interfering with play: playing or touching the ball;
  • interfering with an opponent: blocking the goalkeeper's line of vision, challenging for the ball or clearly attempting to play a ball close by;
  • gaining an advantage: playing a ball that rebounds off the post, crossbar, an opponent or a save.

When offside does not apply

There is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick, a throw-in or a corner kick. A player also cannot be offside in their own half.

Deliberate play by a defender

If a defender deliberately plays the ball (for example a controlled pass or clearance), an attacker in an offside position who then receives it is not penalised, unless the defender's action was a deliberate save. A deflection or rebound does not reset offside.

What happens after an offside offence

The referee awards an indirect free kick to the defending team where the offence occurred.

Technology

Tight offside calls are now often checked by VAR. At the 2022 World Cup FIFA introduced semi-automated offside technology, which uses tracking cameras and a sensor in the ball to produce the 3D images fans see on screen. More competitions, including in Africa, are adopting these tools.

A quick test

If the ball is passed forward and, at that moment, the attacker's shoulder is beyond the last defender's toes, the attacker is offside. If the attacker is level or behind, play on.