Law 11·offside

Returning from Offside Position

A player who was in an offside position can become onside by moving back behind the offside line before the ball is played to them.

The full rule

Offside is judged at the moment the ball is played by a teammate. If a player was in an offside position when a previous pass was made, but then moves back to an onside position before the next pass is played to them, they are onside. The key is the moment each individual ball is played. However, if a player is in an offside position and immediately receives the ball without time to return, they remain offside. Players can also be caught offside even if they start in an onside position and move into offside territory as the ball is played.

Key points

✓Offside judged at the moment each ball is played
✓A player can return to onside position between passes
✓Moving into offside position as the ball is played counts as offside
✓The linesman must track the moment of the pass, not the moment of receipt
✓VAR freezes the frame at the exact moment of the pass

Scenarios

Player runs back onside before receiving the ball

An attacker is in an offside position when a pass is played sideways. They run back onside and then receive the next pass.

Correct call: Onside. The second pass was played when the attacker was in an onside position.

Common mistake: Flagging offside because the player was offside earlier in the move. Each pass resets the offside check.

Verdict:onside

Player sprints into offside position as ball is played

An attacker is in an onside position but sprints forward into an offside position at the exact moment a teammate plays the ball.

Correct call: Offside. The position at the moment the ball is played is what counts, not the starting position.

Common mistake: Keeping the flag down because the player started their run from an onside position.

Verdict:offside