Being a referee is hard. Really hard. Soccer is fast. There are a lot of players. The field is big. And the referee is tasked not only with the safety of every player on the field, but to see, recognize, and enforce every rule of the game.

 

Oh, and did we mention that a lot of these referees are teenagers? Yeah. So, while they’re still figuring out algebra, they’re expected to perfectly track a dozen or more kids running at full speed, judge razor-thin timing decisions, and then calmly explain them to an all-to-often irritated coach. So much fun!

 

And while refs are out there doing their best to keep things fair and safe, they also have to keep track of one of the most mind-bending rules in the game: OFFSIDE

 

So let’s help them out. Let’s clear it up.

 

Let’s talk about: THE OFFSIDE RULE.

 

*DISCLAIMER: This is a long one. You might want to grab some snacks first.

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“OFFSIDES! REF! THAT WAS OFFSIDES!” We’ve all heard it - usually shouted with all the confidence of a professional coach and all the experience of someone who once saw a World Cup match back in 1998. But here’s the big secret: being offside isn’t actually an offense!

 

Wait, what?

 

No, it’s true! “Offside” and an “Offside Offense” are two different things! Offside is about where a player is. An Offside Offense is about what they do from where they are. A player can be in an offside position and still be completely innocent!

 

Confused yet?

 

No worries. Let’s slow it down.

 

WHAT IS OFFSIDE? So, first off: the term is “offside”, not “offsides.” Singular, not plural. A team has one side, and they are either on it or not. And thank you for indulging my pedantic tendencies.

The formal definition for Offside is found in Law 11 of the Laws of the Game. And while the actual law is full of bullet points and exceptions, it boils down to this:

A player has committed an Offside Offense if:

1.    They are in the opponents half of the field
2.    AND they are nearer to the opponent’s goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last defender
3.    AND they are involved in active play
4.    AND they were in that offside position at the moment the ball was played by a teammate

 

Seem simple enough?

 

Yeah, not even close. That’s a lot of “and”s, and every one of them is important. So let’s step through them one at a time.

 

THE POSITION: WHEN IS A PLAYER IN AN OFFSIDE POSITION?

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The first question is whether the player was even offside, or more specifically, in an “Offside Position.”

 

So, let’s start with the first condition. A player is in an Offside Position if:

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1.    They are in the opponents half of the field

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So, if a player is on their team’s half of the field, there is no Offside Position and, therefore, no Offside Offense. Good, that part, at least, is easy!

2.    AND they are nearer to the opponent’s goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last defender

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Second, they have to be “nearer to the opponent’s goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last defender.” So, if they’re behind the ball, they’re not Offside… usually. (More on that in a moment.) But, that “second-to-last defender “ bit is really important. Why not just say the last defender?

 

Well, when we see the word “defender”, we’re probably thinking about the position someone is playing. You know, offense versus defense. But that’s not what the Laws mean by “defender.” The Laws mean the defending team as opposed to the attacking team.

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That means the goalkeeper usually counts as one of those defenders in “second-to-last defender.” So, typically, we’re talking about the goalie plus one outfield player, who, yes, is typically playing defense. And it’s that “second-to-last” defender that sets the “offside line.”

 

Got it. So, if a player of the attacking team is in the other team’s half, AND they are nearer to their opponent’s goal than the ball, AND they are nearer than the second-to-last player in the defending team, then they’re in an Offside Position.

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Okay, but how much of the player has to be nearer than the second-to-last player? Great question. Are you sitting down? Good. Because the answer is: any little bit counts. Yep! Your toe is an inch nearer than the second-to-last defender? You're Offside. Leaning a little too much and your shoulder is a quarter-inch closer than that second-to-last defender? You're Offside. If any part of a player other than their arms or hands are closer, they're Offside (It's like the opposite of a "handball." If it counts for Handling, it doesn't count for Offside. But everything else does!)

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Easy enough so far, right?

 

BUT THAT’S NOT A FOUL... YET. Come on. You really didn’t think it was going to be that easy, did you?

 

Remember, what we talked about before? Just being in an Offside Position isn’t a penalty, or more properly an “Offside Offense.” That’s what the third condition is talking about. A player has committed an Offside Offense if:

 

3.    …they are involved in active play

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Being in an offside position only becomes an Offside Offense when a player does something from that offside position, like:

• Interfering with play (i.e. playing the ball)

• Interfering with an opponent (blocking their line of sight, challenging them for the ball, etc.)

• Gaining an advantage from being in that position (like collecting a rebound off the post or, Keeper, or a defender)

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If the player just stands there doing nothing, or if the ball goes to a different teammate who was in an onside position, no harm, no foul. Play continues.

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BUT WHEN DID ALL THAT HAPPEN? Now we get to the hardest part of all of this. See that fourth condition? That one’s a doozy!

 

A player has committed an Offside Offense if:

 

4.    …they were in that offside position at the moment the ball was played by a teammate

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This is the condition that makes all the difference. And it’s the hardest one of all, the one that causes so much confusion and frustration for coaches, players and spectators.

 

See, an Offside Offense isn’t just about where a player is. (Remember, they can be in an Offside Position, but not committing an Offside Offense.) And it’s not even just about what they do from an Offside Position once they get the ball.

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No, see that bit about “at the moment the ball was played by a teammate”? Yep. That means whether a player is in an offside position, and therefore possibly committing an Offside Offense, is all determined before that player ever gets the ball!

 

That’s right. This isn’t about where a player is when they get the ball. It’s about where they were when the ball was played to them by their teammate.

 

So:

• If an attacking player is behind (in the defending teams half and closer to defending team’s goal line) the second-to-last defender when their teammate plays the ball to them (or they interfered with play, or interfered with an opponent, or gained an advantage), they’ve committed an Offside Offense. (That’s the easy one.)

 

But:

• If the attacking player was in their half of the field “at the moment” their teammate played the ball to them (or they interfered with play, or interfered with an opponent, or gained an advantage), then they cannot commit an Offside Offense (Condition 1), even if they’re “offside” when they get the ball. They were in an Onside Position “at the moment” the ball was played by their teammate. So, no foul. (In fact, we WANT this. It’s a GREAT COUNTER ATTACK!)
   

• If the attacking player is in front of the second-to-last defender “at the moment” their teammate played the ball to them (or yadda yadda yadda.), then they cannot commit an Offside Offense. (Condition 2) even if they’re “offside” when they get the ball. They were in an Onside Position when the ball was played by their teammate. So, again, no foul. (In fact, again, we WANT this. This is an awesome PENETRATING PASS! Next level stuff!)

 

Now, for the REALLY hard one:

• If the attacking player is behind the second-to-last defender (Offside Position) when their teammate played the ball, but then ran back into an Onside Position to receive the ball - in other words, they were behind the defenders (offside), then ran in front of the defenders (onside) to get the ball - they’ve still committed an Offside Offense. Why? Because Condition 4: they were in an Offside Position “at the moment” the ball was played by their teammate. (This one drives spectators nuts!)

 

But the worst one of all?

• If the attacking player is behind the second-to-last defender (Offside Position) when their teammate played the ball, and they never touch the ball, but they “interfere” with play, or an opponent such as the Goal Keeper, or gain an advantage for a rebound, they’ve still committed an Offside Offense. Why? Because Condition 3: they were in an Offside Position to do those thing, i.e. became “involved in active play.” (This one will cause absolute chaos!)

 

THE REF’S CHALLENGE Now imagine you’re a ref, especially a young one. The ball is passed from midfield, players are sprinting full speed, and you have to judge:

1. Where was each attacker?

2. Where were the defenders?

3. Did the player in the offside position actually get involved in play?

4. And when exactly was the ball played?

 

Yeah. There’s nothing easy about any of that.

 

But, wait! There’s more!

 

EXCEPTIONS (YEP, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS) And did you know there are a whole slew of exceptions to Offside? Of course, there are!

• You cannot be Offside on a goal kick, corner kick, or throw-in.

  • But once that goal kick, corner kick, or throw-in is taken, and once someone, anyone, kicks the ball, then presto! Offside is back on the menu!

• In U10 matches, we have a thing called the Build-Out Line (which probably deserves its own article.) In U10 matches, and U10 matches only, a player cannot be Offside until they are past the Build-Out Line.

• There is no Offside if the ball is “deliberately played” by a defender (For a more thorough discussion of “deliberate play”, please see our article on “Hand Balls”). And this one exception can undo literally everything above!

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THE OFFSIDE CHECKLIST:

 

Still with me? Awesome!

 

So, you want to figure out if it’s offside? Here’s your cheat sheet:

✅ Was the player on the opponent’s half?

✅ Were they closer to goal than the second-to-last defender and the ball?

✅ Were they in that position when the ball was played, not just when they received it?

✅ Did they receive the ball from their teammate as opposed to it being deliberately played by someone on the other team?

✅ Did they interfere with play or an opponent?

✅ Are none of the exceptions applicable?

 

If yes to all = Offside.

If no to any = Not offside.

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FINAL THOUGHT Offside isn’t just about where someone is standing. It’s about involvement, timing, and context. And all of that is determined in a split second. It’s like the Referee is taking a thousand photographs of the field each and every time the ball is kicked just to figure out this one rule.

 

And remember: the referee had to do all of that while half the sideline was yelling.

 

Our refs are awesome! Together, we can make the game better for everyone. Understanding the rules? That’s a great place to start.