Football, also known as soccer, is a relatively simple sport.
Eleven players play on each team who, in addition to the goalkeeper, cannot touch the ball with their hands and must put the ball in the back of the net more times than the other team.
However, there is one rule that never fails to confuse newcomers: offside.
Well, it’s time to get out the salt and pepper shakers because The Jugo Mobile is about to break it down:
What is the offside rule in soccer?
In simple terms, a player is offside if he is in the attacking court and closer to the opposing team’s goal line than the ball and the second-to-last opponent.
The opposing team will be awarded an indirect free kick if a player in an offside position comes into contact with the ball or is deemed to be active in the game while his team is in possession of the ball.
A player’s head, body and feet can be caught in an offside position, but players’ hands and arms are not counted. According to the Football Association (FA)“For the purposes of determining offside, the upper limit of the arm is aligned with the bottom of the armpit.”
Exceptions to offside rules
The offside rule in football does not apply directly from a goal kick, throw in either corner.
Assistant referees located on each sideline in opposite halves are responsible for calling an offside infringement and the head referee is responsible for enforcing the decision. VAR, the video assistant referee, can now also notify referees of offside in the event that an offside player scores or influences a goal.
Semi-automatic offside: how technology has changed when refereeing the rule
VAR still applies the offside rule at key moments in certain leagues and competitions. In others, there is a new tool to help referees: semi-automatic offside technology.
FIFA implemented this new system at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. A variation was introduced for the UEFA Champions League and Serie A and, in 2024/25, it will be used in the English Premier League.
The system typically requires 12 tracking cameras placed under the roof of each stadium, which are used to track both the ball and 29 sensors on each player. Sometimes the match ball itself also carries a microchip.
These player data points are used to generate a 3D animation that better highlights whether a player was offside and reported by the on-field referee. In some tournaments, such as the 2022 World Cup, animations were shown on giant screens in stadiums so fans could better understand the decision.
The semi-automatic offside technology was successfully tested in 2021 at the Arab Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. It was used in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, and in the 2024 Euro Cup.
“Semi-automatic offside technology is an evolution of VAR systems that have been implemented around the world,” said FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
“This technology is the culmination of three years of dedicated research and testing to deliver the best for the teams, players and fans who will travel to Qatar later this year, and FIFA is proud of this work.”
The idea behind semi-automatic offsides is to effectively eliminate the risk of human error leading to a goal being incorrectly awarded or disallowed. Of course, officials can still make poor decisions, particularly when this technology is not in use.
How referees still make wrong offside decisions
While VAR technology was designed to prevent wrong decisions, human error is still part of the game and this applies to the offside rule.
Even with VAR, the way referees interpret the rules and watch replays can lead to the wrong decision being made.
Often the lack of good replay angles also affects the referee’s ability to make the correct decision when it comes to offside.
With the advent of VAR, offside calls have become even stricter and fans are often unhappy when a goal is disallowed due to finer margins that would have previously gone unnoticed.
When did the offside rule start?
Offside has been part of the round ball game since its formal foundation and the FA made it one of its laws of the game in 1863.
The rule has been modified numerous times since then, but its fundamentals remain largely the same.
A key change to the offside rule came in 1990, when attacking players were now considered onside if they were tied with the second-to-last opposing player.
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger proposed modifying the offside rule so that players are in play if any part of their body with which they can score is aligned with the second-to-last opposing player.
What is the purpose of the offside rule?
Although sometimes confusing, the offside rule prevents teams from camping in front of goal and encourages more fluid play.
The offside rule forces teams to play smarter and has led to some big tactical battles.
Several of the best teams in modern football often use an offside trap in the form of a high defensive line to catch opposing teams offside when they are attacking. While this can benefit the defending side, it can also leave them more exposed when attacking players manage to stay in play and break through the backline.
The offside rule may be frustrating for attackers, but it has certainly given the game an extra layer of depth and kept the sport more balanced across the pitch.