Offside: Interfering with Play

Being in an offside position is not an offence by itself. A player is only penalised on becoming involved in active play, by interfering with play, by interfering with an opponent, or by gaining an advantage.^3, ^4, ^5, ^6, ¹¹

Key points

✓Offside position alone is not an offence³
✓Three ways to become involved: interfering with play, interfering with an opponent, gaining an advantage^4, ^5, ^6, ¹¹
✓Interfering with an opponent covers four things, not just blocking the goalkeeper's view: challenging for the ball, clearly attempting to play a close ball when that impacts an opponent, and any obvious action that clearly impacts an opponent's ability to play the ball^4, ^6, ^7, ^8, ^9, ¹⁰
✓Gaining an advantage covers rebounds and deflections off a goalpost, crossbar, match official or an opponent, and a deliberate save by any opponent^4, ^11, ^12, ¹³
✓An assistant referee may delay the flag, but only in a very clear attacking situation where a player is about to score or has a clear run towards the opponents' penalty area, and must then raise it if the attack produces a goal, a penalty, a free kick, a corner, a throw-in or retained possession^14, ^15, ¹⁶
✓Where VAR is in use, offside position is a factual decision usually settled by a VAR-only review, while interference is a subjective one for which an on-field review is appropriate^1, ^2, ^17, ¹⁸

Read the full rule

Scenarios

Scenario 1

Offside player runs away from the ball

Goal

An attacker is in an offside position when the ball is played, but they run away from it and a different teammate scores.

Correct call: Goal stands. The offside player was not involved in active play.

Common mistake: Flagging offside because the player was in an offside position. Position without involvement is not an offence.

Law^3, ⁴

Scenario 2

Ball rebounds off post to offside attacker

Offside

An attacker shoots and the ball hits the post. A teammate in an offside position runs onto the rebound and scores.

Correct call: Offside. The player gained an advantage from their offside position by playing a ball that rebounded off the goalpost.

Common mistake: Allowing the goal because the rebound came off the post, not an opponent. The goalpost, the crossbar and a match official are all listed alongside an opponent.

Law^4, ^11, ¹²

The full rule

A player in an offside position is penalised only on becoming involved in active play, and the Laws name three ways that happens. Interfering with play means playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a team-mate. Interfering with an opponent has four limbs, and all four count: clearly obstructing an opponent's line of vision so as to prevent them playing or being able to play the ball, challenging an opponent for the ball, clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when that action impacts on an opponent, and making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball. Gaining an advantage means playing the ball, or interfering with an opponent, when it has rebounded or been deflected off a goalpost, crossbar, match official or an opponent, or been deliberately saved by any opponent. A player in an offside position who runs away from the ball and does none of these things has not committed an offence.^4, ^5, ^6, ^7, ^8, ^9, ^10, ^11, ^12, ¹³