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What is the offside rule?
An aspect of association football, the offside rule is one of the most contested regulations of the game due to its many nuances, subjective interpretations, and the challenges of determining legitimate offside offences during gameplay. Additionally, for newcomers to the sport, youth clubs, or those taking their interest to a competitive level, the offside rule can be confusing to grasp and even harder for coaches to explain in a clear way.
In this blog, we’ll break down what the offside rule is and how it’s applied in football including exemptions to the rule, making it easier to understand when a player is in an offside position or has committed an offside offence.
What is the offside rule in simple terms?
Whilst the offside rule can technically be explained in a very simplified way, this type of explanation won’t give a clear understanding of how the rule actually works. Instead, you’ll need to familiarise yourself with all of the complexities and exemptions to fully comprehend the offside rule. Even so, we can start with a simplified definition to get to grips with the basics:
The attacking player when in the opposition half must be behind two of the defending players (including the goalkeeper), or level with the second to last opposing team member.
How do I know where the offside line is?
This is where the offside rule becomes more complex. Firstly, it is important to note that offside only applies to players who are passing the ball - it does not apply to dribbling techniques that are used to take the ball past opponents. If at any time the ball is released from one teammate to another in the bid to score a goal, then the positioning of the players must be taken into account in case there is an offside offence.
As such, there is no defined offside line because this depends on where the player is standing when they pass the ball. A player is considered in an offside position if any part of their head, body, or feet (excluding arms and hands) is in the opposition’s half of the pitch and is closer to the goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last opponent. Therefore “offside” is not a specific area of the pitch.
If a player is exactly level with the second-to-last defender, they are considered onside. A player cannot be offside while in their own half of the pitch or when standing on the halfway line. Similarly, if they receive the ball within their own half, they are not offside. With that being said, if you are in an offside position - it is not an official offence so long as you don’t come into contact with the ball. Instead, this position has been categorised as ‘passive offside’ since 2003.
To further add to the nuances of the rule, the timing of the ball must be considered when deciding if there has been an offence. If a player moves past the halfway line before the ball is released, they will be offside. However, if they are still within their half when the ball is released, they can then run past the halfway line to receive the ball and still be onside. If the ball is passed to them and both teammates are within their half, the player cannot be considered offside.
Can you be offside in your own half?
No, you cannot be offside in your own half. The offside rule only applies to players when they are in their opponent’s half of the pitch. The exception to this rule is that you can be considered offside if you pass the halfway line before the ball is released.
If you do find yourself committing an offside offence, there will be a penalty, for example the referee can award a free kick where the offence happened even if this is inside your own half. Additionally, if a goal is scored as a result of an offside position, the goal will be disallowed.
Can you be offside from a goal kick?
No, there are exemptions to the offside rule and the FA laws state that you cannot be offside when receiving the ball from a goal kick. Additionally, offside does not apply to a direct throw-in, no matter the player’s position in relation to the opposing defenders, nor does the rule apply to corner kicks even if the player receiving the ball is closer to the goal than the two opposing defenders.
However, there is a caveat to all three of these exemptions, in that the exemption only applies to the initial play. If the ball is passed from a corner kick, goal kick, or throw-in to an onside teammate, who then passes it to an attacker who is closer to the goal than the two opposing defenders, then that player then becomes offside because he has indirectly received the ball from those scenarios and the exemption no longer applies.
When was the offside rule introduced?
The offside rule was first introduced in 1863 by the then newly-formed Football Association (FA). The 1863 rule was quite different from the rule set out by the FA today. In 1863, the rule started out by stating that a player is offside unless three players from the opposing team are in front of him. This rule remained the same for a while but was changed in 1925, and the revisions stated that the number of opposing players required to be in front should be reduced to just two players. In 1990, this rule was revised once again, and this change stated that a player is considered onside if he is exactly level with the second-to-last opposing player. This version of offside is the rule that still stands in modern football matches today.
The rule sparks a lot of debate however, with many players and spectators of the sport disagreeing with the offside rule and calling for it to be revised further by FIFA on the grounds that it can be almost impossible to call an offside offence.
Most of the outrage comes from the fact that in many cases there can be only millimetres between an offside and onside position. This can make it subject to human error as offside is usually called by the linesmen. In larger matches the use of VAR (Video Assistant Referee) is used to make calling an offside slightly easier. The software also checks for any offside offences after a goal is scored, in case an offence has been missed by the linesmen and the goal should be disallowed on that basis.
Of course, the offside rule can be more difficult to call for grassroots teams where there are no linesmen or VAR - so it’s important to remain diligent about the positionings of your players within these teams.
Learn the offside rule with Avec Sport
Most players learn the rule best simply by playing and observing. If you’re a coach for youth clubs or grassroots teams, you can try setting up some scenarios during your training sessions to help demonstrate the rules. Try using a training ball and bibs to help your team visualise what you are trying to explain. Alternatively, you can browse through our blog for more useful training tips and ideas for your club.