Offside rule explained

You're offside if, at the moment a teammate plays the ball, you're in the opponents' half and closer to their goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent, and you then get involved in play. The other team gets an indirect free kick.

The offside rule in simple terms

When a teammate passes to you, you need two opponents level with you, or between you and their goal line. One of them is usually the goalkeeper. So in practice the rule of thumb is simple: don't be past the last defender when the ball is played.

If you are past that line, and you then play the ball, the flag goes up and the other team restarts with an indirect free kick.

Why does the offside rule exist?

Without it, strikers could camp next to the goal for the whole match and wait for a long ball. The rule forces attackers to time their runs, and it gives the defending team a line to hold.

What the law actually says

Offside is Law 11 of the Laws of the Game. You're in an offside position if any part of your head, body or feet is in the opponents' half (the halfway line doesn't count) and nearer their goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent.

Notice the wording. The law doesn't say "last defender". It says second-last opponent, and that detail matters when the goalkeeper leaves the goal.

Which body parts count for offside?

Only the parts you can legally score with: your head, body and feet. Hands and arms don't count, for any player, goalkeepers included. The boundary is the bottom of the armpit.

Offside is judged at the moment of the pass

The check happens when your teammate plays the ball, not when you receive it. If you're level at the pass, you can finish ten yards clear of the defence and still be onside. Every pass by a teammate is a fresh check.

When you can't be offside

Flip the rule round and you're onside if you're:

• level with the second-last opponent, or further back
• level with the ball, or behind it
• anywhere in your own half

There's also no offside directly from a throw-in, a corner or a goal kick. On a throw-in you can stand right next to the keeper.

Being in an offside position isn't an offence

You can stand in an offside position all afternoon. You're only penalised if you get involved, which means one of these:

• You play the ball or touch it after a teammate's pass.
• You interfere with an opponent, for example by blocking the keeper's view.
• You gain an advantage from a rebound off the post, a deflection or a save.

There's one big exception. If a defender deliberately plays the ball, even with a bad pass, you're let off.

The offside trap

Defenders can turn the rule into a weapon. In the offside trap, the back line steps up together a split second before the pass, and a striker who was onside is suddenly stranded.

When Barcelona beat Real Madrid 4-0 at the Bernabéu in October 2024, their high line caught Real offside 12 times, with Kylian Mbappé flagged eight times.

It's a gamble, though. If one defender steps late, that defender plays the striker onside and the striker is through on goal. A runner who starts from deep, onside at the pass, beats the trap completely.

Two weird offside decisions

Carlos Vela, 2010 World Cup. South Africa's keeper came for a corner and missed it. Vela tapped in with a South Africa player on the line in front of him, and the goal was ruled out. With the keeper out of position there was only one opponent between Vela and the goal line. One isn't enough: you need two.

Christian Panucci, Euro 2008. Italy's Panucci ended up behind his own goal line after a collision. A defender who leaves the pitch without the referee's permission still counts, as if standing on the line. So Panucci played Ruud van Nistelrooy onside, and the goal stood.

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