In association football, a player is in an offside position if part of their head, body, or feet is in the opponents’ half and nearer the goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent when a teammate plays the ball. Being in that position is not automatically an offense; the player must also become involved in active play.
This guide explains how officials judge the position, what counts as involvement, and which restarts are exempt. Clear examples will help you understand close calls, defender touches, and why a player can be onside when the ball arrives even if they looked offside earlier.
Who is offside in football? The basic rule
A player is in an offside position only if all three conditions are true when a teammate plays or touches the ball:
- The player is in the opponents’ half of the field. The halfway line itself does not count as the opponents’ half for this test.
- Some part of the player’s head, body, or feet is nearer the opponents’ goal line than the ball.
- Some part of the player’s head, body, or feet is also nearer that goal line than the second-last opponent.
The hands and arms do not count for any player. For this rule, the top of the arm is measured at the bottom of the armpit. A player’s position is judged using the parts of the body with which they can legally score, not a hand that happens to be beyond a defender.
Being in an offside position is not by itself an offense. The referee penalizes the player only if they become involved in active play in one of the ways described below. This distinction explains why an attacker can stand beyond the defenders without an immediate whistle.
When does an offside-positioned player commit an offense?
The referee looks at what the player does after a teammate plays the ball. The key question is whether the player becomes involved in active play. The Laws of the Game describe three main forms of involvement.
Interfering with play
A player interferes with play by playing or touching the ball passed or touched by a teammate. For example, if an attacker starts beyond the second-last opponent and runs onto a through ball, their touch is an offside offense. The pass can be a short tap, a long kick, a header, or another deliberate action by a teammate.
The attacker does not have to score or control the ball for an offense to occur. Touching it is enough. If they leave the ball alone, the referee considers whether they become involved in another way.
Interfering with an opponent
A player can be penalized without touching the ball if their position affects an opponent’s ability to play it. This can include clearly obstructing an opponent’s line of vision, challenging them for the ball, or making an obvious action that affects their ability to play it.
Simply being near a defender or standing in an offside position is not automatically interference. The official judges whether the attacker’s action actually affects the opponent. For instance, an attacker directly in a goalkeeper’s view as a shot arrives may be interfering; an attacker well away from the goalkeeper and play may not be.
Gaining an advantage from a rebound or deflection
An attacker in an offside position can be penalized for playing a ball that rebounds or deflects to them from an opponent, goalpost, crossbar, or referee. They can also be penalized if they play a ball that an opponent deliberately saves and it then reaches them.
A routine defensive touch does not always reset the offside situation. The difference between a deliberate play and a deflection matters, as explained below. A ball merely glancing off a defender is not a reliable way to put an attacker back onside.
The moment the pass is made decides the position
Officials assess an attacker’s position at the instant a teammate plays or touches the ball, not when the attacker receives it. If the attacker is onside at that moment, they can run beyond the defensive line and collect the pass without being offside. If they are in an offside position when the teammate plays it, moving back onside before touching the ball does not erase the earlier position.
For a pass that travels through the air, the relevant moment is when the teammate kicks or heads it, not when the ball crosses a defender or lands. For a sequence of quick touches, the official judges the moment the teammate makes the relevant play. A new deliberate play by a teammate can create a new position to assess.
Attackers often time a run to start level with the second-last opponent, then accelerate as the pass is released. This is legal if they were not nearer the goal line than the required reference points at the moment of the pass. A player’s position can be difficult to judge in real time, which is why assistant referees watch both the passer and the defensive line.
Who counts as the second-last opponent?
The rule uses the second-last opponent, not the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper is often the last opponent, but not always. If the goalkeeper has come out of the goal, another defender may be the last opponent and a different player may be second-last.
All opposing players count, not only defenders in a particular position. The official compares the attacker with the ball and the second-last opponent who is nearest the goal line. The attacker must be nearer the goal line than both to be in an offside position.
If the attacker is level with the second-last opponent, they are onside. If they are level with the ball, they are also onside. The rule does not require an attacker to remain behind two defenders at all times; it applies at the specific moment a teammate plays the ball.
Offside exceptions: restarts where the rule does not apply
A player cannot be penalized for receiving the ball directly from certain restarts, even if they are standing in an offside position. These exceptions apply only to the direct delivery from the restart; after another player touches or plays the ball, the usual test applies again.
| Restart | Offside for a direct reception? | What to remember |
|---|---|---|
| Goal kick | No | A player can receive the kick directly in an advanced position. |
| Throw-in | No | The exemption applies to the player receiving the throw directly. |
| Corner kick | No | An attacker can stand beyond the defensive line for the corner. |
| Free kick | Yes | The normal offside rule applies to the direct kick. |
| Kick-off | Yes | Players must still meet the normal test after the ball is played. |
These exceptions are easy to confuse. A direct pass from a throw-in is exempt, but if a teammate touches the ball after the throw and then passes it, the offside rule applies to the next play. The same principle applies to the other exempt restarts.
Does a defender’s touch put an attacker onside?
Not every touch by a defender resets offside. If a defender deliberately plays the ball, an attacker who was in an offside position may generally receive it without being penalized for that earlier position. But a deflection or a deliberate save does not have the same effect.
A deliberate play means the defender had a genuine opportunity to control or play the ball. Officials consider factors such as whether the ball came from far away, its speed and direction, whether the defender could see it, and how much time they had to coordinate their movement. The defender does not need to make a perfect pass. A poor attempted clearance can still be deliberate play if the player had a reasonable chance to act.
A deflection is more like an accidental ricochet: the defender has little or no control over the contact. If a pass strikes a defender who cannot meaningfully choose or control the play, an attacker in an offside position may still be penalized for receiving the ball. The fact that the ball touched an opponent is not enough on its own.
A save is different again. If a defender or goalkeeper stops, or attempts to stop, a ball going into or very close to the goal, an attacker in an offside position cannot use that save to reset the situation. This distinction prevents attackers from gaining an advantage simply by waiting beside the goal for a shot to be blocked.
Examples that make close decisions easier to understand
An attacker is behind the ball
A forward runs toward the goal but remains behind the ball when a teammate passes it. They are not in an offside position, even if they are ahead of every defender. The position of the ball is one of the two reference points, so being level with or behind it keeps the player onside.
An attacker is level with the last two opponents
If the attacker’s relevant body parts are level with the second-last opponent when the pass is played, the attacker is onside. A level position is allowed. Small differences can be hard to see from the stands, but the rule does not penalize a player for being exactly level.
An attacker is beyond the line but does not affect play
A player can be in an offside position and still not commit an offense if they do not touch the ball, interfere with an opponent, or gain an advantage from a rebound or save. For example, a teammate may pass to an onside player while a second attacker beyond the defensive line stays out of the play. The referee does not call offside solely because that second attacker was forward.
A defender steps forward after the pass
If the attacker was in an offside position when the ball was played, a defender stepping forward afterward does not make the attacker onside. The position is fixed at the moment of the teammate’s play. This is why the defensive line cannot undo an earlier offside position by moving up after the pass.
A teammate receives a throw-in
An attacker can receive a throw-in directly while standing beyond the second-last opponent. That is not an offside offense. If the receiver then passes to a teammate, the teammate’s position is judged at the moment of that pass under the normal rule.
How officials judge close calls, including with VAR
The assistant referee usually stays level with the second-last opponent, moving along the touchline to judge the defensive line and watch for involvement. They must also identify when the ball is played, then decide whether the attacker’s position and later actions meet the rule. These tasks happen quickly, especially during a fast counterattack.
In competitions that use video assistant referee (VAR) technology, a close offside decision may be reviewed with video and calibrated lines. VAR is not used in every league or match, and the available camera angles and procedures can vary. The goal is to help officials apply the law, not to change the requirements for an offside offense.
A flag raised for offside may lead to play being stopped, while in some competitions the assistant referee may delay a close flag when an attack could produce a clear scoring chance and VAR is available. The referee still decides whether to stop play. A delayed signal does not mean the attacker is automatically onside or that a goal will count.
From the stands, a single camera angle can be misleading. It may make an attacker appear level when they are not, or show a player’s foot without showing the relevant position of the ball. The official decision depends on the players’ positions at the moment of the pass and on whether the attacker then becomes involved.
How attackers can time runs to stay onside
For an attacker, the practical goal is to watch both the passer and the defensive line. Moving too early can waste a promising pass; moving too late can make it harder to reach the ball. A well-timed run starts level with, or behind, the relevant reference points as the teammate plays the ball.
- Check the line before accelerating. Look across the field to locate the second-last opponent, not just the goalkeeper.
- Watch the ball carrier. Start the decisive run as the teammate releases the pass, rather than guessing from an earlier movement.
- Keep the ball in view. If you are ahead of the ball, check that you are not nearer the goal line than it when the pass is made.
- Stay involved only when you are onside. If a teammate is likely to play the ball to another attacker, avoid blocking a defender or goalkeeper from an offside position.
Attackers can also use curved runs to stay level with the defensive line before cutting toward goal. The useful detail is timing, not simply sprinting behind the defense as early as possible.
How defenders use the offside line
Defenders may move forward together to leave attackers in offside positions when a pass is played. This is often called an offside trap. It can disrupt an attack, but it carries risk: if one defender stays deep, an attacker may remain onside and run through on goal.
A defensive line works best when players communicate and move as a unit. A defender who steps out at the wrong moment may leave a teammate playing the attacker onside. Goalkeepers also need to judge their position carefully because they are not automatically the last or second-last opponent.
Defenders should not assume that an attacker’s advanced position means the referee must stop play. The attacker must become involved. Continuing to play until the whistle is often safer than stopping to appeal, since the referee may judge that the attacker did not interfere.
Common offside misunderstandings
- Being beyond the defense is not enough. The player must be in an offside position when a teammate plays the ball and then become involved in active play.
- The goalkeeper is not the reference by default. The rule compares the attacker with the second-last opponent and the ball.
- A player cannot be offside in their own half. The position must be in the opponents’ half, though the player may run into that half after the ball is played if they were onside at the relevant moment.
- Hands and arms do not count. A hand or arm beyond the defender does not make a player offside.
- A defender’s touch does not always reset the play. A controlled, deliberate play can reset the situation; an accidental deflection or a save does not.
- Offside is not judged when the attacker receives the ball. The crucial position is measured when a teammate plays or touches it.
- Being level is onside. The rule penalizes a player who is nearer the goal line, not a player exactly level with the second-last opponent or ball.
One point that often clears up arguments: an attacker can be standing very close to the goal and still be onside if the ball is behind them, or if they received it directly from an exempt restart. Where a player appears on the field is only part of the decision; the timing, the ball, the opponents, and the player’s involvement all matter.
The simplest way to judge who is offside in football is to check the attacker’s position when a teammate plays the ball, then ask whether the attacker becomes involved in active play. The player must be in the opponents’ half and nearer the goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent to be in an offside position.
For a close call, watch the passer’s touch first, then check the attacker’s involvement. Remember that level is onside, direct receptions from goal kicks, throw-ins, and corner kicks are exempt, and a defender’s accidental touch does not automatically reset the situation.