The offside rule in soccer is one is among the most misunderstood calls. Often, fans read foul play whenever a referee flags a player as offside, and it gets worse when a goal has been scored, only for it to be declared offside.
This post debunks the offside rule in soccer. You could call it ‘offside in soccer for dummies, so let’s start by asking the big question.
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What is the offside rule in Soccer?
Often referred to as law 11 in soccer, the offside rule in soccer has always been tricky and contentious. However, with Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology now playing a crucial role in making vital calls, things are getting a bit clearer.
First off, let's start by noting that being offside is not a foul in soccer and does not count towards disciplinary points – only yellow and red cards do that. Rather, it is often regarded as taking undue advantage of the opponent. Usually, an offside call is made when a player is nearer the opponent's goal than the opposing goalkeeper and the second-last opponent.
Note that this only happens when a ball is played and the person receiving it is slightly or completely ahead of the rest in the opponent’s box.
The following are also notable incidences of being offside in soccer:
- A player is offside when his or her part of the body is nearer the opponent's goal line than the second-last opponent or the ball.
- An offside call is also made when any part of a player’s body is in the opponent’s half ahead of the rest. Note that the half-field line is not considered in offside calls unless a player crosses it.
Instances where there is no offside offense
Before you get infuriated by offside calls in the MLS, it is always important to understand instances where it works and where there is no offense. The following are instances where the offside call is not made:
- There is no offside offense when a player directly gets the ball from a goal-kick.
- It is not offside when a player receives a ball from a throw-in in front of the last opponent.
The catch here is that the player getting the first touch from a throw-in – even if ahead of the last opponent and nearer to the opponent's goal line – is not flagged as offside. However, a player is offside when he or she does not directly get the ball from a throw-in but rather, as a second touch from a teammate or the opponent.
- Moreover, there are no offside in corner kicks. It explains why players offside scramble for the ball inside the six-yard box during corner kicks and the referee is hardly bothered unless there is a scuffle or a foul.
What happens when a referee makes the offside call?
Depending on what happens before an offside call is made, a referee can either wave play on or make the call. The following are notable offside calls and probably sanctions:
- There is no offside call when a striker/attacker remains stationary between the opponent's goalposts as the ball kicked by a teammate enters the goal. In this case, the goal is counted as a score unless the attacker breaks law 12 or touches the ball.
- An attacking player is considered offside if he or she re-enters the field before a ball is out of the player and gets involved in the play in the opponent's box. The player is also considered offside if he or she enters the field of play after the ball has been kicked towards the half-field line and is past the penalty box.
- Note that in cases where the soccer offside rule does not apply yet attacking player re-enters the field without a referee's permission, he or she must be penalized/cautioned.
When offside calls go wrong
Inevitably, the offside rule has been subject to scrutiny for a number of key moments in soccer's illustrious past. And even in the advent of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, there are several recent examples of the offside rule not being applied properly.
Only last October, Liverpool fell to a 2-1 defeat at Spurs that contributed to a failed title charge in Jurgen Klopp's final season. Luis Diaz scored a perfectly legitimate goal that would have kept the Reds' unbeaten start to 2023/24 going. VAR official Darren Engalnd began a check that led to the correctly-called onfield decision (‘goal') being reversed.
The blue side of Merseyside has also felt the sting of VAR injustice, with a Merseyside derby at Goodison Park in September 2022 seeing a Conor Coady strike ruled out for offside. His body was deemed to be in an offside position despite his foot appearing level, which only added to the belief that offside rules are open to interpretation.
And going further back, to the pre-VAR era, an offside call against Paul Scholes stopped Manchester United from going 2-0 up against Porto in a 2004 Champions League knockout tie. That might well have knocked the resolve out of Porto, who needed a last-minute equaliser to go through, leading to their grand victory in the final and the birth of the ‘Special One' Jose Mourinho.
VAR improving offside calls
Even though the offside rule is still clearly not immune to human error, a June 2024 vote amongst Premier League clubs in favour of keeping VAR suggests that it is seen as doing far more good than bad.
Certainly, before the introduction of the VAR in modern soccer, the answer to what was offside in soccer was more elusive, especially in some instances where the call was too close to make.
Incidentally, MLS was one of the first international leagues that introduced VAR usage to rule out an offside call. After a goal-scoring opportunity is over, the assistant can then raise the flag if an offside occurred during play. At this point, VAR checks for potential offside if a goal has been scored.
With these new VAR rules expanding across the top leagues and competitions at club and international level, it is easier to make the call than relying on the judgment of assistant referees.
