Offside is a rule in football that prohibits an attacker from gaining an advantage by being closer to the opponent’s goal than both the ball and the second-last defender at the moment the pass is made.
How offside works
The moment of the pass
Offside is determined precisely at the moment a teammate plays the ball, not when the player receives it.
What is taken into account
The parts of the body that can be used to score a goal are taken into account: the head, torso and legs. The arms are not taken into account.
Active involvement
Simply being in an offside position is not an offence. An offence is only recorded if a player:
- touches the ball
- interferes with an opponent
- gains an advantage from their position
When offside is not called
There is no offside if:
- the player is in their own half
- the player is level with the second-last defender
- the ball is closer to the goal than the attacker
- the play follows a corner, throw-in or goal kick
Penalty
If an offside is called, play is stopped and a free kick is awarded to the defending team. A goal scored from an offside position is disallowed.
Offside in simple terms
The offside rule was introduced to prevent attackers from waiting near the opponent’s goal for an easy pass.
Main rule
At the moment the pass is made, there must be at least two opposition players (usually the goalkeeper and a defender) between the attacker and the goal.
Two simple examples
Offside
A forward runs towards the goal ahead of the defenders. A teammate plays a long pass. At the moment of the pass, the forward is already closer to the goal than the defender — this is offside, and the goal is disallowed.
No offside
The forward starts at the same time as the defender or slightly behind them. The pass is played while the forward is still level with the defender — play continues, and the goal stands.
Offside in football – frequently asked questions
Can there be offside in your own half?
No. There is no offside in your own half.
Is there offside after a corner?
No, offside is not called directly after a corner kick.
Why does VAR disallow goals?
VAR checks the player’s exact position. Even an offside by a single centimetre can lead to a goal being disallowed.
VAR and modern football
The VAR system has made offside decisions extremely precise:
- cameras and 3D lines are used
- even millimetres are detected
- decisions are now fully technical
This has removed human error, but made the rule stricter.
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