Offside position vs offside offence: what makes the difference?

An offside position is not, by itself, an offence

Under IFAB Law 11, being in an offside position does not automatically lead to a free kick. First assess the player’s position at the relevant team-mate contact with the ball. Then ask whether that player becomes involved in active play in a way the law penalises.

That involvement can include playing the ball, interfering with an opponent or gaining an advantage after a rebound, deflection or deliberate save. A player can therefore commit an offside offence without touching the ball, while another player in an offside position may commit no offence at all.

Check the position at the right moment

A player is in an offside position when a part of their head, body or feet is in the opponents’ half, excluding the halfway line, and a part of their head, body or feet is nearer the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent. Hands and arms do not count, including those of goalkeepers. The arm’s upper boundary is the bottom of the armpit for this purpose.^[1]

Being level with the second-last opponent, or with the last two opponents, is not an offside position. Nor is it enough simply to be beyond a defender: the ball’s position and the opponents’ half are also part of the test. The law says “opponent,” not “outfield defender”; the goalkeeper is not guaranteed to be the last opponent.

Use the first point of contact when a team-mate plays or touches the ball. There is a specific exception when the goalkeeper throws the ball: use the last point of contact. A later image showing where the attacker received the ball cannot replace the required reference moment.

Look for involvement, not just a touch

A player who was in an offside position can interfere with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a team-mate. But touching the ball is only one route to an offence.

Interference with an opponent includes clearly blocking the opponent’s line of vision so they cannot play the ball, challenging an opponent for the ball, or clearly attempting to play a nearby ball when that action affects an opponent. An obvious action that clearly affects an opponent’s ability to play the ball can also qualify. The officials must assess the actual action and its effect, not just the distance between players.

Compare the four invented cases below. All players remain on the field; there are no other fouls or special leaving-the-field issues. Cases A–C use an ordinary team-mate pass or shot, assessed at its first contact, not a goalkeeper’s throw. Each position description covers the relevant head, body and feet, with hands and arms ignored. The stated facts are assumptions for teaching, not findings about a real match.

The table works because both the reference position and the later action are specified. In an actual incident, officials still have to establish those facts. Simply saying “the player was ahead” or “the player never touched it” does not complete the analysis.

An opponent’s touch is not always a fresh start

Law 11 distinguishes an opponent’s deliberate play from a rebound, deflection or deliberate save. A player who was in an offside position can be penalised for gaining an advantage by playing the ball or interfering with an opponent after it rebounds or deflects off a goalpost, crossbar, match official or opponent, or after an opponent deliberately saves it.^[2]

Receiving the ball from an opponent who deliberately played it, including deliberate handball, is treated differently: the player is not considered to have gained an advantage on that basis, unless the opponent’s action was a deliberate save. This is not a rule that every contact by a defender cancels the earlier position.

For deliberate play other than deliberate handball, the law looks for control with the possibility of passing, gaining possession or clearing the ball. An unsuccessful pass or clearance can still be deliberate play. Relevant indicators include the ball’s distance, speed and direction, the player’s view and time to coordinate, and whether contact was merely an instinctive stretch with limited control.

A save has its own definition: stopping or trying to stop a ball going into or very close to the goal, using a body part other than the hands or arms, except for a goalkeeper within the penalty area. Do not treat a deliberate save as an ordinary deliberate pass or clearance. Whether a particular action meets these definitions is a factual assessment for the officials.

The goal-kick, throw-in and corner exceptions are direct

There is no offside offence when a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick, a throw-in or a corner kick. That word matters. The exception is not a blanket exemption for everything that happens later in the attack.

For example, after a corner reaches a team-mate, a new pass by that team-mate must be assessed at its own relevant contact. You cannot carry the direct-corner exception through every subsequent pass. Equally, a goalkeeper’s throw during play is not a throw-in; it has the contact-time rule described above.

Keep the law decision separate from the match forecast

For an offside offence, the referee awards an indirect free kick where the offence occurs. That place can be in the player’s own half if the player returns there and becomes involved after being in an offside position at the relevant earlier contact.

This guide explains the position-versus-offence distinction in IFAB Law 11, cross-checked against the FA’s 2026/27 Law 11 text. It does not determine a real disputed incident, describe a competition’s technology arrangements or turn a decision into a goal or match-win probability.

Those are different reading tasks. The football win-probability guide deals with modelled outcomes as a match changes; a law decision must first be understood on its own facts and applicable rules.

Frequently asked questions

Is being in an offside position an offence?

No. The player must also become involved in active play in a way Law 11 penalises, with its relevant exceptions considered. In fictional case A, the position is offside but the player does not become involved, so the position alone is not penalised.

Can a player be penalised without touching the ball?

Yes. For example, a player who was in an offside position can interfere with an opponent by clearly obstructing their line of vision and preventing them from playing the ball. Other listed forms of interference can also apply; “no touch” does not settle the decision.

Is a player offside if level with the second-last opponent?

No. Level is not an offside position. Assess the eligible body parts at the correct team-mate contact, rather than the player’s later receiving position. Hands and arms are excluded.

Does a defender touching the ball cancel offside?

Not automatically. Deliberate play is different from a deflection or a deliberate save. Control and the opportunity to pass, possess or clear the ball matter; an attempted clearance can be deliberate play even when unsuccessful. A mere touch is not enough to classify the action.

Can a player be offside directly from a corner kick?

There is no offside offence from receiving the ball directly from a corner kick, goal kick or throw-in. A later team-mate pass is a new situation to assess; the direct-restart exception does not cover the whole attack.

Sources and scope

This guide explains IFAB Law 11, cross-checked with the FA 2026/27 Law 11 PDF. Its cases are fictional, with stated facts rather than real-match rulings. It does not cover VAR/SAOT implementation, competition deployment or market settlement. Sources checked on 21 October 2026.

1. IFAB: Law 11, Offside — sections 11.1–11.4, checked on 21 October 2026.
2. The FA: Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 11 — official PDF, including the match-official rebound provision.