Offside

In Football, if any part of a player's body, except their hands and arms, is on the opponent's side of the field and closer to the opponent's goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent, they're in an offside position.

Being in an offside position isn't a foul on its own, but a player in that position when their teammate passes the ball can be penalized for offside if they receive the ball, get involved in the play, interfere with an opponent, or gain an advantage from being offside. Offside is often seen as one of the trickiest parts of the game to understand.

There is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from:

a goal kick
a throw-in
a corner kick

If an offside offence happens, the referee gives an indirect free kick at the spot of the offence, even if it's in the player's own half of the field.

Situations and Scenarios

Here are scenarios and situations where a player can be in an offside position directly or by interfering the play.

An attacker in an offside position (A), not interfering with an opponent, touches the ball. The assistant referee must raise the flag when the player touches the ball.

An attacker in an offside position (A), not interfering with an opponent, does not touch the ball. The player did not touch the ball, so cannot be penalized.

An attacker in an offside position (A) runs towards the ball and a team-mate in an onside position (B) also runs towards the ball and plays it. (A) did not touch the ball, so cannot be penalized.

A player in an offside position (A) may be penalized before playing or touching the ball, if, in the opinion of the referee, no other team-mate in an onside position has the opportunity to play the ball.

An attacker in an offside position (1) runs towards the ball and does not touch the ball. The assistant referee must signal â€˜goal kick'.

An attacker in an offside position (A) is clearly obstructing the goalkeeper's line of vision. The player must be penalized for preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball.

An attacker in an offside position (A) is not clearly obstructing the goalkeeper's line of vision or challenging an opponent for the ball.

An attacker in an offside position (A) runs towards the ball but does not prevent the opponent from playing or being able to play the ball. (A) is not challenging an opponent (B) for the ball.

An attacker in an offside position (A) runs towards the ball, preventing the opponent (B) from playing or being able to play the ball by challenging the opponent for the ball. (A) is challenging an opponent (B) for the ball.

An attacker in an offside position (B) is penalized for playing or touching the ball that rebounds, is deflected or is played from a deliberate save by the goalkeeper, having been in an offside position when the ball was last touched or is played by a team-mate.

An attacker in an offside position (B) is penalized for playing or touching the ball that rebounds or is deflected from a deliberate save by a player from the defending team (C), having been in an offside position when the ball was last touched or is played by a team-mate.

The shot by a team-mate (A) rebounds from the goalkeeper, (B) is in an onside position and plays the ball, (C) in an offside position is not penalized because the player did not gain an advantage from being in that position because the player did not touch the ball.

The shot by a team-mate (A) rebounds off or is deflected by an opponent to attacker (B), who is penalized for playing or touching the ball having previously been in an offside position.

An attacker (C) is in an offside position, not interfering with an opponent, when a team-mate (A) passes the ball to player (B1) in an onside position who runs towards the opponents' goal and passes the ball (B2) to team-mate (C). Attacker (C) was in an onside position when the ball was passed, so cannot be penalized.