There is no new offside rule being applied universally in football: the standard law still judges an attacker’s position when a teammate plays the ball. A proposed “daylight” change would require the attacker to be fully beyond the second-last opponent, but it is not the worldwide standard.
This guide explains the rule used in matches, what counts as active involvement, and how the proposed change differs. You’ll also learn how throw-ins and goal kicks affect offside, why a defender’s touch may not reset the decision, and what to watch for when a close call goes to VAR.
what are the new rules for offside in football?
The short answer: the standard offside law has not been replaced by the proposed “daylight” rule across football. Under the current global standard, an attacker can be in an offside position if any eligible part of the head, body, or feet is nearer to the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent when a teammate plays or touches the ball. Being in that position alone is not an offence; the player must then become involved in active play.
The proposed change associated with Arsène Wenger would make offside harder to call against attackers. Under that version, the attacker would be offside only when the whole body is beyond the second-last opponent. In practical terms, a player could have part of a shoulder, foot, or torso level with a defender and still be onside. This is often called a “daylight” approach because there would need to be visible separation between attacker and defender.
That proposal is different from the standard Law 11 used in ordinary competitions. It has been discussed and trialed in limited settings, but you should not assume it applies to a professional or amateur match unless that competition has specifically adopted it. The match’s governing rules determine which version is in force.
| Rule or situation | What it means | Best way to think about it |
|---|---|---|
| Standard offside position | Any eligible part is nearer the goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent. | Even a small eligible body part can matter. |
| Daylight proposal | The attacker would need to be entirely beyond the second-last opponent. | A small overlap would favor the attacker. |
| Active involvement | A player in an offside position is penalized only after becoming involved in play. | Position alone is not a free kick. |
| Restart exceptions | No offside offence can be called directly from a goal kick, throw-in, or corner kick. | Check the restart before judging the run. |
How the standard offside rule works
Offside is judged at the moment a teammate first plays or touches the ball, not when the intended receiver controls it. The referee then considers both the attacker’s position and what that player does next. This timing point explains many confusing decisions: the pass may arrive several seconds after the moment that decides the call.
Which body parts count?
The head, body, and feet can put a player in an offside position. Hands and arms do not count for any player, including the goalkeeper. The boundary for an arm is the bottom of the armpit, so a shoulder can count while the arm below it cannot.
To be in an offside position, the attacker must be in the opponents’ half of the field, excluding the halfway line, and nearer to the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent. A player level with the second-last opponent is onside. A player level with the ball is also onside.
The goalkeeper is usually one of the opponents considered, but not always the last one. The rule looks at the second-last opponent, whoever that happens to be. If the goalkeeper has advanced upfield, two outfield players could be the relevant opponents.
Position is only the first part of the decision
A player is not penalized simply for standing in an offside position. The referee must decide whether that player becomes involved in active play in one of the ways set out by the law. If the player does not interfere with play, interfere with an opponent, or gain an advantage from a rebound or similar event, the position by itself is not an offence.
This is why an attacker can be behind the defense while a teammate passes and still not be penalized. If the attacker makes no relevant attempt to play the ball and does not affect an opponent, play can continue. But moving toward the ball or challenging a defender for it may make the player active, even without a touch.
When an offside player is considered active
The law groups active involvement into three broad situations. Officials judge what the player actually does, not just where the player started. A decision can be difficult when a player does not touch the ball but appears to affect a defender or goalkeeper.
- Interfering with play: The player plays or touches the ball passed or touched by a teammate.
- Interfering with an opponent: The player obstructs an opponent’s line of vision, challenges an opponent for the ball, clearly attempts to play a nearby ball and affects an opponent, or makes an obvious action that clearly affects an opponent’s ability to play the ball.
- Gaining an advantage: The player plays the ball after it rebounds or deflects from an opponent, goalpost, or crossbar, or after an opponent makes a deliberate save.
For example, an attacker standing offside near the goalkeeper is not automatically guilty. If that attacker blocks the goalkeeper’s view of a shot or challenges the goalkeeper for the ball, the referee may judge that the player interfered with an opponent. If the attacker stays clear and has no effect on the play, there may be no offence.
A deflection and a deliberate play by a defender are not the same thing. A mere deflection usually does not reset the offside situation. A defender who deliberately plays the ball can reset it, even if the pass or clearance is poor, provided the action is not a deliberate save. Officials assess whether the defender had control and a genuine chance to play the ball; a ball ricocheting off a player is not automatically a deliberate play.
Which restarts do not produce an offside offence?
A player cannot be penalized for being offside when receiving the ball directly from a goal kick, a throw-in, or a corner kick. This exception applies to the direct delivery. If a teammate then touches or plays the ball, the usual offside test applies at that later moment.
Other restarts do not share this exemption. A free kick, a penalty kick, and a kick-off can lead to an offside offence if the usual conditions are met. Do not assume that every set piece gives attackers a free pass to wait behind the defense.
One useful practical check is to identify the restart before judging a run. A receiver directly taking a throw-in can be beyond the defense without an offside call. If another player touches that throw before the receiver gets the ball, however, the exception no longer describes the next pass.
How to judge a close offside call
For a close decision, focus on two separate snapshots: the moment the teammate plays the ball and the moment the attacker becomes involved. These questions help you work through the call without confusing the pass’s arrival with its release.
- Identify the teammate’s touch. Find the first point of contact when the ball is played or touched. A teammate’s deliberate pass is not required; a touch that sends the ball forward can set the offside position.
- Check the attacker’s location. Compare the attacker’s eligible head, body, or feet with the ball and the second-last opponent. The halfway line matters: a player entirely in their own half cannot be in an offside position.
- Exclude hands and arms. Do not use a hand or arm to decide whether a player is ahead of a defender. The same exclusion applies when judging the goalkeeper.
- Look for active involvement. Decide whether the attacker touches the ball, affects an opponent, or benefits from a rebound or deliberate save.
- Check the source of the ball. A direct goal kick, throw-in, or corner kick has an exemption. A later teammate touch can create a new offside moment.
Practical tip: If you are reviewing a video, pause at the teammate’s touch, not at the instant the receiver gets the ball. Then check for active involvement separately. This prevents one of the most common mistakes: using the receiver’s later position as if it were the position that mattered when the pass began.
How VAR and assistant referees handle tight decisions
In matches with video assistant referees (VAR), officials can review whether an attacker was in an offside position and whether that player became involved. The review uses the relevant camera angles and, where available, calibrated technology to compare the attacker’s eligible body parts with the second-last opponent and the ball.
The review does not change the underlying law. VAR helps officials assess the facts, but the decision still depends on the rule in force and on whether the player interfered with play or an opponent. For a close involvement decision, the referee may need to consider the player’s actions, such as blocking a view or challenging for the ball, rather than relying on a line alone.
Assistant referees may delay raising the flag in situations where an immediate offside decision could stop a promising attack. This allows play to continue until the move ends, after which the decision can be made. A delayed flag does not mean the attacker was judged onside; it gives the officials a chance to review the whole attacking sequence.
Not every competition uses VAR or the same technology. In matches without it, the assistant referee judges the attacker’s position and involvement in real time. A close call can therefore look different from one broadcast angle than it did from the official’s position on the field.
Common offside myths that cause confusion
“Any player beyond the defense is offside.”
Not necessarily. The player must be in the opponents’ half and nearer the goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent at the relevant moment. A player level with either reference point is onside. The player must also become involved in active play before an offence is called.
“The last defender is always the line.”
The law refers to the second-last opponent, not automatically the last outfield defender. The goalkeeper counts as an opponent, but the goalkeeper’s position may be well ahead of or behind the defensive line. Count all opponents when assessing the position.
“A defender’s touch always resets offside.”
A deflection, rebound, or deliberate save does not automatically reset the attacker’s position. A defender’s deliberate play can reset it, but the referee must judge whether the defender made a genuine attempt to play the ball. Simply touching the ball is not enough to prove that the play was deliberate.
“An attacker must touch the ball to be penalized.”
Touching the ball is one way to interfere with play, but not the only way to become involved. An offside-positioned player can also be penalized for interfering with an opponent, such as by obstructing vision or challenging for a nearby ball in a way that affects the opponent.
“A player can be offside directly from any restart.”
The direct-restart exceptions are specific: goal kicks, throw-ins, and corner kicks. Free kicks and other restarts can still lead to offside. Remember that the exception applies to the direct delivery, not every later pass in the move.
What the proposed daylight rule would change
Under the standard law, a player can be offside if just one eligible part of the body is nearer the goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent. The daylight proposal would reverse the practical threshold: the attacker would need to be fully beyond the opponent to be offside. An attacker whose foot or shoulder remains level with the defender would therefore be onside under that proposal.
The intended effect is to give attacking players more room and reduce marginal calls. It could also change defensive tactics. Defenders may need to drop deeper because holding a high line would leave more attackers onside. Those are potential effects of the proposal, not changes readers should assume are already part of every match.
The easiest way to know which rule applies is to check the competition’s current regulations or match information. Do not treat a news story about a trial, test, or proposal as proof that the law has changed everywhere. A competition can apply a trial rule only where its organizers have formally adopted it.
How players and coaches can apply the rule
Attackers can reduce offside calls by timing the run to the teammate’s touch. The runner should watch the passer and begin moving as the ball is played, rather than sprinting too early and waiting behind the defensive line. Staying level with the second-last opponent is onside under the standard rule.
Passers can help by looking up before releasing the ball and choosing a clear passing lane. A well-timed pass matters more than simply playing the ball forward as quickly as possible. If a teammate is beyond the defense but not yet active, a different runner may still receive the pass legally.
Defenders can use a coordinated line, but it requires communication. If one player drops behind the others, that player may keep an attacker onside. The goalkeeper’s position also matters because the test uses the second-last opponent, not a fixed line made only from outfield players.
For spectators, the simplest reliable sequence is: identify the teammate’s touch, compare the attacker with the ball and second-last opponent, then ask whether the attacker became active. Keep the direct-restart exceptions in mind. This approach is more dependable than judging from where the ball was received or assuming that every forward run is an offence.
The standard offside law remains the rule used in ordinary football competitions unless a competition has formally adopted a trial or alternative. The proposed daylight version would make an attacker offside only when fully beyond the second-last opponent, but that is not a universal change.
To judge a close call, first freeze the moment a teammate plays the ball, then check the attacker’s position and involvement separately. For a specific match, confirm the competition’s rules before assuming a proposed change applies.
That is the practical answer to what are the new rules for offside in football: learn the standard test, and treat the daylight rule as a proposal unless the competition says otherwise.