In soccer, the offside rule is designed to prevent players from gaining an unfair advantage by positioning themselves too close to the opponent's goal ahead of the ball and defenders. A player is considered to be in an offside position if:
- They are in the opponent's half of the field,
- Any part of their head, body, or feet is closer to the opponent's goal line than both the ball and the second-last defender (usually the last defender excluding the goalkeeper) at the moment the ball is played to them.
However, being in an offside position is not an offense in itself. An offense occurs if the player in an offside position becomes involved in active play by:
- Playing or touching the ball passed by a teammate,
- Interfering with an opponent (blocking vision, challenging for the ball, or impacting their ability to play),
- Gaining an advantage by playing the ball after it rebounds or is saved.
Exceptions include:
- A player is not offside if they receive the ball in their own half,
- A player cannot be offside when receiving the ball from a throw-in, corner kick, or goal kick,
- Players in offside positions who do not become involved in active play are not penalized.
When an offside offense is called, the opposing team is awarded an indirect free kick from the spot where the offense occurred. The offside rule encourages fair play and prevents "goal-hanging," where players just wait near the opponent's goal for a pass. It is often judged on close calls by referees and assistant referees during the match.
