Offside rule explained

Offside Rule Summary:

  1. Offside position = when ahead of (*see 2) both the ball & the 2nd last defender
  2. *”Ahead of” does not include arms and hands
  3. Foul is called when player becomes active in play (i.e. receives a pass, blocks goalkeeper’s view, impedes an opposing player)
  4. No offsides during throw-ins, goal kicks, corner kicks, or in the player’s own half
  5. Pass must be from a teammate for offside to be considered
  6. Key moment is “When the ball is PASSED, NOT WHEN IT’S RECEIVED!”
  7. Deflections off a player or a post are not considered; the key moment would still be the original pass (this includes a goalkeeper making a save: the rebound position is not considered… only the position of the player as his teammate was taking the original shot)

How to beat the offside trap

This video provides a introduction to the rules of offside, before moving on to how as an attacking player you can stay onside, exploiting space to get in dangerous attacking positions.