Offside is soccer's most talked-about rule — and the one that causes the most arguments. A goal is scored, the crowd erupts, then a flag goes up and the referee waves it off. That is offside.
The Basic Rule
A player is offside if, at the moment the ball is played to them, they are in the opponent's half and fewer than two opponents are between them and the goal. In practice, that means the goalkeeper plus one outfield defender must be ahead of them. If the attacker is level with the last defender, they are onside — it is only a problem when they are ahead.
When the Decision Is Made
The key is timing. Offside is judged at the exact moment the ball leaves a teammate's foot — not when the attacker receives it. A player can sprint past the last defender after the pass is made and still be onside, as long as they were level or behind when the ball was played. This split-second timing is why VAR freeze-frames the exact moment of the pass to draw the offside lines.
What Does Not Count
You cannot be offside from a corner kick, throw-in, goal kick, or goalkeeper's distribution. These restarts reset the offside trap entirely. Also, simply being in an offside position is not a foul — you are only penalized if you actively receive the ball, interfere with a defender, or distract the goalkeeper.
At the 2026 World Cup, VAR will check every potential offside on goals. The technology draws lines through players' bodies at the exact frame the pass is made — goals have been disallowed by millimeters. The offside rule is under review by FIFA, but for WC26 it remains as is.
