2nd-last
Being in an offside position is not itself an offence
6 min readLast updated
Photo: LTS Sports Turf · CC BY-SA 4.0
The short answer
Football distinguishes an offside position from an offside offence. A player must become involved in active play in one of the ways defined by Law 11 before that position is punishable.
Why it's true
Position is judged against both the ball and the second-last opponent, not automatically against the last outfield defender. Goalkeepers often occupy the deepest position, but the law does not reserve either of the relevant defensive positions for a particular playing role. If the goalkeeper has advanced, an outfield player can be the deepest opponent.
The relevant attacking body parts are the head, body and feet. Hands and arms do not establish an offside position, including a goalkeeper’s hands and arms. The halfway line is excluded from the opponents’ half for this purpose, and being level with the second-last opponent does not put a player offside.
By the numbers
2
Opponent used with the ball for the position test
3
Direct-receipt restart exceptions
0
Offences created by position alone
How we know
IFAB Law 11 deliberately separates position from offence. Position is a snapshot of the attacker’s eligible body parts relative to the ball, halfway line and second-last opponent. An offence needs something more: involvement in active play through playing the ball, interfering with an opponent or gaining an advantage as defined in the law.
The reference moment is ordinarily the first point of contact when a team-mate plays or touches the ball. For a goalkeeper throwing the ball, the law uses the last point of contact. The position seen when the receiver eventually controls the pass can therefore be very different from the position officials must evaluate.
Worth remembering
- Position alone is not an offence.
- Judge the relevant earlier contact.
- A player can interfere without touching the ball.
In context
Consider a runner who begins level with the second-last opponent, accelerates after the pass and receives several metres clear. The later television image may look suspicious, but the original position was legal. Now reverse the sequence: an attacker begins beyond the relevant line and runs back to collect the pass. Returning does not erase the earlier position if the player becomes involved.
When an offside offence is penalised, the restart is an indirect free kick where the offence occurred, which may even be in the player’s own half after a run back. That location is another reason not to confuse the position snapshot with the later act that completes the offence. They can happen at different places and times.
A closer look
Why the second-last opponent is not always a defender
The law refers to opponents, not to a goalkeeper plus a designated last defender. Usually the goalkeeper is one of the two deepest players, which makes the familiar defensive-line explanation look correct. But if the goalkeeper advances and an outfield player stays near goal, the same positional calculation still applies without assigning anyone a special exemption.
An attacker is in an offside position only if a relevant part of the head, body or feet is in the opponents’ half and nearer the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent. Hands and arms are excluded. Being level with the second-last opponent is not offside, and standing on the halfway line does not count as being in the opponents’ half.
The ball is an independent part of that test. A forward can be beyond every opponent yet remain onside by being behind the ball when a team-mate plays it. This often occurs during a two-player breakaway and a square or backward pass. Counting opponents alone would falsely turn a legal attacking move into an offence.
Involvement, saves and the next phase
An attacker need not touch the ball to offend. Clearly obstructing a goalkeeper’s line of vision, challenging an opponent for the ball, or making a qualifying action that clearly affects an opponent can satisfy the interference provisions. Conversely, merely occupying an advanced position away from the contest does not automatically justify stopping play.
A rebound from a post, crossbar or opponent does not necessarily give the attacker a clean slate. A deliberate save also preserves the relevant offside consequence. An opponent’s deliberate play can have a different effect, subject to the law’s distinctions, so officials must distinguish controlled opportunity to play from a mere ricochet rather than treating every touch as equivalent.
Three restarts have a direct-receipt exception: goal kicks, throw-ins and corner kicks. A player cannot commit an offside offence simply by receiving one of those directly. Once a team-mate subsequently plays or touches the ball, a new positional assessment can arise. The exception is not an immunity lasting for the whole attack.
Related facts
See a restart exception that helps explain why an advanced receiver may legally continue. You can score directly from a goal kick against the other team.
A throw-in provides a contrasting example of an apparently successful direct goal that does not count. A football throw-in cannot score a goal directly.
Another useful contrast is how valid deliveries, rather than all releases, advance cricket’s count. A cricket over contains six valid balls, not necessarily six deliveries.
Curling also separates tactical leadership from the order in which players deliver. A curling skip does not have to throw the last stones.
Key terms
- Offside position
- Position alone is not punishable under Law 11.
- Offside offence
- Punishable involvement in active play from that position.
People also ask
Why does the law say second-last opponent?
Because playing roles do not determine the offside line. The goalkeeper may be advanced, and any opponent can occupy either of the deepest positions. The ball must also be considered in the position test.
Can someone be offside without touching the ball?
Yes. A player in an offside position can offend by interfering with an opponent, for example by clearly blocking the goalkeeper’s view. Simply standing in that position without qualifying involvement is not enough.
Can a runner receive behind the defenders legally?
Yes, if onside at the relevant team-mate contact, or if a direct-receipt restart exception applies. The position when the ball arrives is not normally the deciding snapshot.
Does a rebound make an attacker onside?
Not by itself. A rebound or deliberate save does not normally remove the earlier offside consequence. Deliberate play by an opponent is assessed differently from a deflection.
Which restarts have direct-receipt exceptions?
Goal kicks, throw-ins and corner kicks. A later team-mate touch can create a new offside assessment, so the word directly is essential.
