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| Photo: javiera mera garcia, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons |
Every football fan has shouted it at the television: "He was offside!" But what does offside actually mean? Here is the famous rule, explained in the simplest possible words.
The basic idea
A player is in an offside position if any part of their head, body or feet is in the opposition half AND closer to the goal than both the ball and the second-last opponent (usually the goalkeeper plus one defender).
Being in that position is not a crime by itself. It only becomes an offence when a teammate passes the ball and the player in that position receives it, interferes with an opponent, or gains an advantage from the position.
Level is onside
If the attacker is exactly level with the second-last opponent, they are ONSIDE. The benefit of the doubt goes to the attacking team. This is why so many decisions look impossibly tight — a shoulder or a knee can be the difference.
You cannot be offside from these
Three restarts never count for offside: a goal kick, a throw-in, and a corner kick. A player also cannot be offside in their own half, no matter how few defenders are nearby.
Why the rule exists
Without offside, strikers would simply stand next to the goalkeeper all game and wait. The rule forces teams to build attacks together, time their runs, and defend as a unit. It is frustrating, it causes arguments every weekend — and football would be far worse without it.
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