It is not an offence to be in an offside position.
\nA player is in an offside position if:
\nany part of the head, body or feet is in the opponents’ half (excluding the halfway line) and
any part of the head, body or feet is nearer to the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent
The hands and arms of all players, including the goalkeepers, are not considered. For the purposes of determining offside, the upper boundary of the arm is in line with the bottom of the armpit.
\nA player is not in an offside position if level with the:
\nsecond-last opponent or
last two opponents
A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched* by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by:
\ninterfering with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a team-mate or
interfering with an opponent by:
\npreventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or
challenging an opponent for the ball or
clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent or
making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball
or
\ngaining an advantage by playing the ball or interfering with an opponent when it has:
\nrebounded or been deflected off the goalpost, crossbar, match official or an opponent
been deliberately saved by any opponent
*The first point of contact of the ‘play’ or ‘touch’ of the ball should be used.
\nA player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent who deliberately played* the ball, including by deliberate handball, is not considered to have gained an advantage, unless it was a deliberate save by any opponent.
\n*‘Deliberate play’ (excluding deliberate handball) is when a player has control of the ball with the possibility of:
\npassing the ball to a team-mate;
gaining possession of the ball; or
clearing the ball (e.g. by kicking or heading it)
If the pass, attempt to gain possession or clearance by the player in control of the ball is inaccurate or unsuccessful, this does not negate the fact that the player ‘deliberately played’ the ball.
\nThe following criteria should be used, as appropriate, as indicators that a player was in control of the ball and, as a result, can be considered to have ‘deliberately played’ the ball:
\nThe ball travelled from distance and the player had a clear view of it
The ball was not moving quickly
The direction of the ball was not unexpected
The player had time to coordinate their body movement, i.e. it was not a case of instinctive stretching or jumping, or a movement that achieved limited contact/control
A ball moving on the ground is easier to play than a ball in the air
A ‘save’ is when a player stops, or attempts to stop, a ball which is going into or very close to the goal with any part of the body except the hands/arms (unless the goalkeeper within the penalty area).
\nIn situations where:
\na player moving from, or standing in, an offside position is in the way of an opponent and interferes with the movement of the opponent towards the ball, this is an offside offence if it impacts on the ability of the opponent to play or challenge for the ball; if the player moves into the way of an opponent and impedes the opponent’s progress (e.g. blocks the opponent), the offence should be penalised under Law 12
a player in an offside position is moving towards the ball with the intention of playing the ball and is fouled before playing or attempting to play the ball, or challenging an opponent for the ball, the foul is penalised as it has occurred before the offside offence
an offence is committed against a player in an offside position who is already playing or attempting to play the ball, or challenging an opponent for the ball, the offside offence is penalised as it has occurred before the foul challenge
There is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from:
\na goal kick
a throw-in
a corner kick
If an offside offence occurs, the referee awards an indirect free kick where the offence occurred, including if it is in the player’s own half of the field of play.
\nA defending player who leaves the field of play without the referee’s permission will be considered to be on the goal line or touchline for the purposes of offside until the next stoppage in play or until the defending team has played the ball towards the halfway line and it is outside its penalty area. If the player left the field of play deliberately, the player must be cautioned when the ball is next out of play.
\nAn attacking player may step or stay off the field of play not to be involved in active play. If the player re-enters from the goal line and becomes involved in play before the next stoppage in play or the defending team has played the ball towards the halfway line and it is outside its penalty area, the player will be considered to be positioned on the goal line for the purposes of offside. A player who deliberately leaves the field of play and re-enters without the referee’s permission and is not penalised for offside and gains an advantage must be cautioned.
\nIf an attacking player remains stationary between the goalposts and inside the goal as the ball enters the goal, a goal must be awarded unless the player commits an offside offence or a Law 12 offence, in which case play is restarted with an indirect or direct free kick.
","lawSectionCategoryName":"Offences and sanctions","sectionIndex":"4","images":[],"audio":{"url":"/audio/43623/1697395139-law-11-4.wav","mimeType":"audio/x-wav","duration":80.979683}}],"mobileHeader":null,"desktopHeader":null,"seo":{"title":"Law 11 - Offside","description":"Offside in football, offside rule football, offside rule introduced"},"audio":{"url":"/audio/43623/1697017081-law-11_full.wav","mimeType":"audio/x-wav","duration":341.978118}},"title":"Offside","chapterIndex":11,"nextChapterPath":"/laws/latest/fouls-and-misconduct","previousChapterPath":"/laws/latest/determining-the-outcome-of-a-match","canonicalUrl":null,"isBasicLaw":true,"questionsAndAnswers":[{"id":"DatoCmsQuestionAndAnswer-69848796-en","answer":"The goal is awarded. There is no offside offence because the team-mate received the ball directly from the corner kick.
","question":"The referee awards an indirect free kick to the defending team. It is an offside offence if the player interferes with play by playing/touching the ball received directly from the free kick.
","question":"The referee awards an indirect free kick to the defending team. It is an offside offence as the forward is considered to have gained an advantage from being in an offside position and is therefore penalised for playing the ball.
","question":"The referee awards an indirect free kick to Team B. It is an offside offence because the attacker clearly attempted to play the ball which was close and this action impacted on the opponent.
","question":"The referee awards an indirect free kick to Team B. It is an offside offence – the forward is penalised for gaining an advantage by playing the ball when it has been deliberately saved by an opponent.
","question":"The referee allows play to continue. There is no offside offence if a player in an offside position receives the ball from an opponent who deliberately plays the ball.
","question":"The referee awards an indirect free kick to the defending team. It is an offside offence as the forward is considered to have gained an advantage of being in an offside position and penalised for playing the ball.
","question":"The goal is awarded. There is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick.
","question":"Play continues – the Team B player is not 'offside' as the ball was not played by another Team B player.
","question":"The referee allows play to continue. The attacker (Team B) is not considered to have gained an advantage as the defender (Team A) deliberately played the ball.
","question":"No, because a ‘save’ is only when a player stops, or attempts to stop, a ball which is going into or very close to the goal. The referee allows play to continue as the attacking player (Team A) is not considered to have gained an advantage as the defender (Team B) deliberately played the ball.
","question":"The referee allows play to continue because the team-mate is not in an offside position as no part of the attacker's body (i.e. any part of the head, body or feet) is in the opponents’ half.
","question":"If there are two or more opponents nearer the goal line then the attacker is not offside and a goal is awarded. It does not matter what position a defender is in: standing, sitting, lying etc.
","question":"The player shall be considered to be on the goal line or touchline until the next stoppage of play or until the defending team has played the ball towards the halfway line and it is outside their penalty area.
","question":"It is a penalty kick. The foul is penalised as it has occurred before the offside offence.
","question":"A goal must be awarded unless the player commits an offside offence or a Law 12 offence, in which case play is restarted with an indirect or direct free kick.
","question":"No. There is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from:
\na goal kick
\na throw-in
\na corner kick
\nYes, if it impacts on the ability of the opponent to play or challenge for the ball. If the player intentionally impeded the opponent’s progress (e.g. blocks the opponent), the offence should be penalised under Law 12.
","question":"If an offside offence occurs, the referee awards an indirect free kick. A goal cannot be scored directly from an indirect free kick; a goal kick is awarded to the opponents.
","question":"Whichever offence occurs first is penalised so the foul is only penalised if it occurs before the player in an offside position commits an offside offence (e.g. touched the ball).
\nIf both offences occur at the same time the foul is penalised as it is more serious i.e. offside is punished with an indirect free kick whereas the foul is punished with a direct free kick.
","question":"An indirect free kick is awarded to Team B. The offside offence is penalised as it has occurred before the foul challenge.
","question":"It is an offside offence. The referee awards an indirect free kick to the defending team. The attacking player is penalised for preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the goalkeeper’s line of vision.
","question":"The referee allows play to continue as no offside offence is committed.
","question":"If the attacking player re-enters from the goal line and becomes involved in play before:
\nthe next stoppage in play or
\nthe defending team has played the ball towards the halfway line and it is outside its penalty area
\nthe player shall be considered to be positioned on the goal line for the purposes of offside.
","question":"It is not an offside offence so the referee allows play to continue. The attacking player is only penalised if he/she plays the ball or interferes with an opponent.
","question":"It is an offside offence. The referee stops play and awards an indirect free kick to the defending Team A. The attacking player (Team B) is penalised for gaining an advantage by playing the ball when it has been deliberately saved by the opponent.
","question":"The referee allows play to continue as the attacking team player (A) has not committed an offside offence.
","question":"