| The Purpose of the Offside Rule | | | | participating in the play. But this sort of participation |
| The purpose of the Offside Rule is the same in | | | | does not come from touching the ball. Rather, it |
| Soccer as it is in hockey -- to prevent | | | | comes from interfering with an opponent's chance to |
| "cherry-picking" by a player who camps in front of | | | | play the ball. In this case, once the assistant referee |
| the other team's goal. Without the Offside Rule, | | | | sees the participation, the appropriate response is to |
| Soccer would be a large field game of ping pong, | | | | raise the flag. But, if the offside player pulls up, steps |
| filled with long kicks and alternating mad scrambles | | | | to the side, or clearly indicates that he is removing |
| from one end of the field to the other. By preventing | | | | himself from the moment's active play, the alert |
| any "offside" player from participating in the game, | | | | official will simply allow play to continue. |
| the rule puts a premium on dribbling and passing, | | | | Among the trickiest things to spot -- either as a |
| rather than long kicks. This promotes teamwork, | | | | spectator or an official -- is the player who exploits |
| which, in turn, encourages quick switching from one | | | | an offside position to gain an unfair advantage. This |
| side of the field to the other, and compresses the | | | | does not mean that the player is "gaining an |
| action to a smaller area of the field -- usually about | | | | advantage" by avoiding some extra running on a hot |
| 30 or 40 yards long. The end result is that all the | | | | day, however. Instead, it means that the player is |
| players stay closer to the action, and everyone has a | | | | taking advantage of his positioning to exploit a lucky |
| better chance of participating in the game. | | | | deflection, or a defensive mistake. So, if an offside |
| The Offside Rule: | | | | player is standing to the side of the goal when his |
| "Offside Position" | | | | teammate takes a shot -- but does not otherwise |
| A player in an offside position is only penalized if, at | | | | interfere with play or inhibit the keeper's chance to |
| the moment the ball touches or is played by one of | | | | make the save -- then he is not offside...and the |
| his team, he is, in the opinion of the referee, involved | | | | officials will count the goal. But if the ball rebounds, |
| in active play by interfering with play, or interfering | | | | either from the keeper or the goalpost, and the |
| with an opponent, or gaining an advantage by being | | | | offside player bangs the rebound home -- the play is |
| in that position. | | | | offside, and the goal will not count, because the |
| Law 11 states that a player is in an "offside position" | | | | player is now gaining an advantage from the offside |
| whenever "he is nearer to his opponent's goal than | | | | position. |
| both the ball and the second last opponent," unless | | | | "The moment the ball touches, or is played, by a |
| "he is in his own half of the field of play." Put more | | | | teammate..." |
| simply: | | | | The Offside rule is the source of more controversy |
| -- No one is "offside" in his own half of the field. | | | | than any other rule in soccer. Partly, this is because |
| -- No one is "offside" if even with, or behind the ball. | | | | there are at least two critical moments of judgment |
| -- No one is "offside" if even with, or behind two or | | | | in every offside call, or no-call. The second of these, |
| more opponents. | | | | the moment of participation, is often easy to see: |
| In addition, there are three major exceptions to the | | | | that's usually where the ball lands and the players are |
| offside rule. Anyone receiving a ball directly from a | | | | playing, and that's where everybody is looking. But |
| throw-in, a corner kick, or a goal kick, cannot be | | | | the first "moment of truth" is usually away from |
| "offside." So, if Sally receives the ball directly from | | | | everyone's attention, because what determines the |
| her teammate's throw-in, it doesn't matter if she is in | | | | "offside position" is the relative position of each |
| an offside position. The fact that it was a throw-in | | | | player at the moment the ball is struck. |
| means that the play was not offside. However, if | | | | Players touch the ball a lot during a soccer game, |
| she flicks the ball along to Jane, who is even further | | | | often in quick succession. And soccer being a fluid |
| downfield than Sally was, Jane can be offside, since | | | | game, on a good team each player is constantly in |
| she received the ball from Sally, rather than from the | | | | motion. This means that the first moment of |
| throw-in. The same holds true for corner kicks and | | | | judgment -- determining whether any players are in |
| goal kicks, as well. If the ball comes directly from the | | | | an offside position -- is constantly changing, and the |
| restart, the play cannot be offside; but once the first | | | | relative position of the players will often be very |
| player receives the ball, the "offside" rule comes back | | | | different from one moment to the next. Yet the |
| into play. | | | | officials have to keep it all straight, and have a |
| "Involved in Active Play" | | | | heartbeat or less to take a mental snapshot of the |
| Contrary to some popular misconceptions, it does not | | | | players' positioning at one frozen moment in time -- |
| violate the rules merely for a player to be in an | | | | the moment the ball is played by a member of one |
| offside position. The violation comes only when an | | | | team -- in order to judge whether an offside |
| "offside" player becomes involved in the play. So the | | | | member of that team subsequently moves to play |
| referee -- or the assistant referee on the sidelines -- | | | | the ball, interferes with an opponent, or gains an |
| who allows play to continue even if everyone can | | | | advantage from being offside. From the official's |
| see a player well beyond the offside line is probably | | | | perspective, the game is an endless series of these |
| not missing anything. Rather, they are applying the | | | | snapshots, because each new touch of the ball |
| rule correctly, by letting play continue until the player | | | | redetermines the offside line....and the official often |
| in the "offside position" becomes "offside" by getting | | | | has less than a heartbeat to make the decision. |
| involved in the play. | | | | The important thing to remember is that the |
| There are three -- and only three -- situations where | | | | moment of judging "offside position" is different than |
| someone in an offside position is penalized for being | | | | the moment of judging participation. And this is true |
| "offside." All of them, however, require participating in | | | | whichever direction the players are moving. An |
| play from an offside position -- or, in the wording of | | | | offside player who comes back onside to receive the |
| the rule, becoming "involved in active play" in one of | | | | ball is still offside; to avoid the call, he cannot |
| three ways: | | | | participate until another teammate touches the ball, |
| -- Interfering with play | | | | or his opponents manage to collect it. On the other |
| -- Interfering with an opponent, or | | | | hand, a player who is onside will remain onside, no |
| -- Gaining an advantage by being in an offside | | | | matter how far she runs to retrieve it, and no |
| position. | | | | matter where the other team's players move in the |
| The easiest example of "offside" comes when an | | | | meantime. So, if Steve is onside when Tom kicks the |
| offside player receives a pass from a teammate. In | | | | ball forward, it doesn't matter if he's twenty yards |
| this case, he is directly "interfering with play" because | | | | behind the defense when he collects the ball. The |
| he got the ball. Other examples of the same principle | | | | play will be onside...because he was onside at the |
| apply this same logic, but seek to spare the players a | | | | moment her teammate passed the ball. And if Steve |
| few steps, or the coaches and fans a few heart | | | | is onside...but Frank is offside...then an alert official will |
| attacks. So, if one or more attackers is trapped | | | | wait to see which one of them moves after the ball |
| offside and running to play the ball, the play will be | | | | -- because if Frank takes himself out of the play, and |
| "offside." On the other hand, if an offside player | | | | lets Steve collect it, then play can continue because |
| removes himself from the play -- pulling up, for | | | | there is no offside violation. |
| example, in order to let an onside teammate collect | | | | Soccer Officials and Offside |
| the ball -- an alert official will allow play to continue. | | | | The offside rule has been part of Soccer for a long |
| And if the ball is going directly to the keeper, the | | | | time, sparking arguments and controversies since its |
| officials will usually let the players keep playing. | | | | inception. But its purpose is simple: to prevent |
| While it is not an offense to be in an offside position, | | | | "cherry-picking." Since it is an important part of the |
| a player who never touches the ball may | | | | game, the referees will enforce the rule to the best |
| nevertheless affect play in such a way as to be | | | | of their ability. But when they rule a play offside -- or |
| penalized for being offside. The offside player who | | | | let play continue, because they saw no infraction -- |
| runs between an opponent and the ball, for example | | | | they are not doing it out of spite, or to hurt one |
| -- or one who screens the goalkeeper from a shot, | | | | team or the other. Rather, they are doing so |
| or interferes with the keeper's ability to jump for, or | | | | regardless of which team it hurts or benefits, simply |
| collect the ball -- violates the offside rule by | | | | because the rules require it. |