rules / source checked

Offside: position is not an offence

Being in an offside position is not, by itself, an offence. In general, position is judged when a teammate plays or touches the ball, and an offence requires the player to become involved in active play.

The position test concerns the opponents’ half, the ball and the second-last opponent. Hands and arms do not count. The goalkeeper is not automatically the last opponent.

There is no offside offence when receiving the ball directly from a goal kick, a throw-in or a corner kick.

What to do next

• Identify when the teammate touched the ball.
• Check the player’s position, then involvement—not position alone.
• Check whether your youth competition applies this law or a modified format.

References

IFAB • Law 11: Offside • checked 2026-09-29

Not specialist reviewed.