The OFFICIAL SOCCER SITE - Law 11

XI - Offside

Offside Position

It is not an offence in itself to be in an offside position. A player is in an offside position if:

he is nearer to his opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second last opponent

A player is not in an offside position if:

he is in his own half of the field of play or

he is level with the second last opponent or

he is level with the last two opponents

Offence

A player in an offside position is only penalised if, at the moment the ball touches or is played by one of his team, he is, in the opinion of the referee, involved in active play by:

interfering with play or

interfering with an opponent or

gaining an advantage by being in that position

No Offence

There is no offside offence if a player receives the ball directly from:

a goal kick or

a throw-in or

a corner kick

Infringements/Sanctions

For any offside offence, the referee awards an indirect free kick to the opposing team to be taken from the place where the infringement occurred.* (see preface)

Laws of the Game

The OFFICIAL SOCCER SITE