The short answer
A player is offside if, at the moment a teammate plays or touches the ball:
- They are in the opponents' half, and
- They are nearer to the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent (usually the last outfield defender, with the goalkeeper as the last opponent),
and they then become involved in play.
The punishment is an indirect free kick to the defending team from where the offence happened.
Offside is covered by Law 11 of the Laws of the Game, set by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
Step 1: is the player in an offside position?
Being in an offside position is not an offence on its own. 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
- That part is nearer to the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent.
Hands and arms do not count for anyone, attacker or defender. The line is judged at the bottom of the armpit, so an arm sticking out cannot make a player offside.
A player is not in an offside position if they are:
- In their own half.
- Level with the second-last opponent.
- Level with the last two opponents.
- Behind the ball when it is played.
Step 2: is it an offence?
A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played by a teammate is penalised only if they become involved in active play by:
- Interfering with play: playing or touching the ball passed or touched by a teammate.
- Interfering with an opponent: for example, blocking the goalkeeper's line of sight, challenging an opponent for the ball, clearly trying to play a ball close to them, or making an obvious action that affects an opponent's ability to play the ball.
- Gaining an advantage: playing a ball that rebounds or is deflected to them off the goalposts, crossbar, a match official or an opponent, or that comes from a deliberate save by an opponent.
A player standing in an offside position who does nothing, such as walking back towards their own half, is not committing an offence.
The exceptions
There is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from:
- A goal kick.
- A throw-in.
- A corner kick.
When a defender plays the ball
If a defender deliberately plays the ball (a controlled pass, clearance or touch, not a reflex deflection), an attacker who was in an offside position is generally not penalised for receiving it, because the defender has made a new decision about the ball. A misjudged deliberate play still counts as deliberate.
A deliberate save, where a defender or goalkeeper stops or tries to stop a ball going into goal, does not reset offside.
Telling a deliberate play from a deflection is one of the hardest judgements referees make, and it causes many disputes.
A simple example
A midfielder passes forward to a striker. At the moment the pass is struck:
- The striker's shoulder is slightly beyond the last outfield defender, and the goalkeeper is behind both.
- The striker runs on and scores.
Verdict: offside. The striker was nearer the goal line than the ball and the second-last opponent (the last outfield defender) at the moment of the pass, and then played the ball.
If the striker had been level, or the shoulder had been behind the defender's, the goal would stand.
How VAR and technology judge offside
- The moment that matters is the instant the ball is played, which is why timing the "kick point" accurately is crucial.
- VAR (video assistant referees) review offside in goals and other key incidents in competitions that use it.
- Semi-automated offside technology (SAOT), used at FIFA tournaments, the UEFA Champions League and some leagues, tracks players' limbs with multiple cameras and, in some versions, a sensor in the ball, to create a 3D offside line within seconds.
Because the line is drawn so precisely, players can be given offside by a margin of centimetres. Some critics argue this is against the spirit of the law.
Will the offside law change?
The basic offside law was not changed in the 2026/27 Laws of the Game, which took effect on 1 July 2026. However, IFAB agreed that trials related to offside will continue. One widely discussed idea, associated with FIFA's Arsène Wenger, would make a player onside if any part of their body that can score is level with or behind the defender, giving attackers more "daylight". Any such change would only be adopted after trials, and would be announced by IFAB.
For fixtures and rankings, see our world football schedule. Cricket fans have their own rules puzzle in the DLS method.
Key takeaways
- Offside is judged at the moment a teammate plays the ball.
- An attacker must be in the opponents' half and nearer the goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent.
- Being in an offside position is not an offence unless the player gets involved in play.
- There is no offside from throw-ins, goal kicks or corners, and level is onside.