- What counts as an offside position under Law 11
- Why an offside position isn't automatically an offside offence
- When a player can't be caught offside
- Offside after deflections, saves and defenders' deliberate play
- What the referee gives for an offside offence
- How VAR and offside technology check offside calls
- Offside rule myths worth clearing up
- Writing and talking about football's offside law
- Frequently asked questions
Under the offside rule, Law 11 of The IFAB Laws of the Game, a player is in an offside position if any part of their head, body or feet is in the opponents' half and nearer the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent. Being there isn't an offence; it's only penalised if they become involved in active play.
Few things in football start more arguments than an offside flag. Fans shout at the screen, pundits replay the same frame a dozen times, and plenty of people watching still aren't sure what the rule says. The good news is that the law itself is shorter and clearer than its reputation.
I've based this explainer on Law 11 of The IFAB Laws of the Game, the official rulebook, plus The IFAB's VAR protocol and the Premier League's own explainer on its offside technology. Here's how I'd explain it to a friend watching their first match.
What counts as an offside position under Law 11
Law 11 says a player is in an offside position if any part of their head, body or feet is in the opponents' half, not counting the halfway line, and is nearer to the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent.
A few details make a big difference:
- Hands and arms don't count for anyone, including goalkeepers. The IFAB treats the top of the arm as the bottom of the armpit.
- A player who is level with the second-last opponent, or with the last two opponents, isn't in an offside position.
- Position is judged at the moment a team-mate plays or touches the ball, not when the player receives it.
Why an offside position isn't automatically an offside offence
This is the part most people miss. Law 11 states plainly that being in an offside position isn't an offence in itself. A player is only penalised if, at the moment a team-mate plays or touches the ball, they're in an offside position and then become involved in active play in one of these ways:
- Interfering with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a team-mate.
- Interfering with an opponent, for example by blocking their line of vision, challenging them for the ball, clearly trying to play a ball that's close by when this affects them, or making an obvious action that affects their ability to play the ball.
- Gaining an advantage by playing the ball after it rebounds or is deflected off the goalpost, crossbar, a match official or an opponent, or after it's been deliberately saved by an opponent.
When a player can't be caught offside
Law 11 lists situations where there's no offside offence at all, and the definition itself rules out others:
| Situation | Can it be offside? |
|---|---|
| Receiving the ball directly from a goal kick | No |
| Receiving the ball directly from a throw-in | No |
| Receiving the ball directly from a corner kick | No |
| Standing in your own half when the ball is played | No, you need to be in the opponents' half |
| Level with the second-last opponent | No |
| Ahead of the ball and the second-last opponent, and then playing the ball | Yes |
Offside after deflections, saves and defenders' deliberate play
This is where offside decisions get subtle. Law 11 says a player who receives the ball from an opponent who deliberately played it, including by deliberate handball, isn't considered to have gained an advantage. The exception is a deliberate save: if the ball comes off a save, the attacker can still be penalised.
The IFAB explains that deliberate play means the defender had control of the ball and could have passed it, won possession or cleared it. Things the referee weighs up include how far the ball travelled, whether the player could see it clearly, how fast it was moving, and whether the player had time to get their body into position. A clumsy or failed attempt still counts as deliberate. An instinctive stretch or jump doesn't.
What the referee gives for an offside offence
When an offside offence is given, the restart is an indirect free kick to the other team, taken from where the offence happened, even if that's in the offending player's own half.
Law 11 also closes a loophole. A defender who leaves the pitch without permission is treated as standing on the goal line or touchline for offside purposes until play next stops, or until their team plays the ball towards the halfway line and it's outside their penalty area. A defender who leaves deliberately is also cautioned when the ball next goes out of play.
How VAR and offside technology check offside calls
The IFAB's VAR protocol only lets the video assistant referee help with a clear and obvious error or a serious missed incident in a few areas, including goals. Offside in the build-up to a goal is one of the things it can check. The final decision is always the referee's.
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In the Premier League, semi-automated offside technology supports the VAR on close calls. The Premier League says up to 30 cameras track the ball and players, the system suggests the moment the ball was played and draws lines on the second-last defender and the relevant attacker, and the VAR then confirms the result. Fans see a 3D graphic of the decision. The league says the technology speeds up decisions rather than changing them.
Offside rule myths worth clearing up
- Myth: standing offside is always an offence. It's only penalised if the player becomes involved in active play.
- Myth: level is offside. Law 11 says level with the second-last opponent is onside.
- Myth: a stray arm can put you offside. Hands and arms are ignored when judging position.
- Myth: you can be offside from a throw-in. Throw-ins, goal kicks and corner kicks are all exceptions.
Because one tight call can flip a result, offside is also part of why an accumulator bet is hard to land: every selection in it has to come good.
Writing and talking about football's offside law
Coaches, referees and fans who can explain offside clearly are always in demand, whether that's for a junior team newsletter or a matchday blog.
Football writers and coaches can reach new readers via sports blogs that take contributed articles.
Frequently asked questions
Can you be offside in your own half?
No. Law 11 says part of the head, body or feet must be in the opponents' half, not counting the halfway line, for a player to be in an offside position.
Is level with the last defender offside?
No. A player level with the second-last opponent, or with the last two opponents, isn't in an offside position.
Can you be offside from a throw-in?
No. There's no offside offence when a player receives the ball directly from a throw-in, a goal kick or a corner kick.
Do arms count for offside?
No. Hands and arms are disregarded for all players, including goalkeepers, when judging an offside position.
What's the restart after an offside?
An indirect free kick to the other team, from the place where the offence happened.
