1.) Offside Position:
It is not an offence to be in an offside position.
A player is in an offside position if:
- any part of the head, body or feet is in the opponents' half (excluding the halfway line) and
- any part of the head, body or feet is nearer to the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent.
the hands and arms of all players, including the goalkeepers, are not considered. For the purposes of determining offside, the upper boundary of the arm is in line with the bottom of the armpit.
A player is not in an offside position if level with the:
- second-last opponent or
- last two opponents
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2.) Offside Offence:
A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or *touched by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by:
- interfering with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a team-mate or
- interfering with an opponent by:
- preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent's line of vision or
- challenging an opponent for the ball or
- clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent or
- making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball
or
- gaining an advantage by playing the ball or interfering with an opponent when it has:
- rebounded or been deflected off the goalpost, crossbar, match official or an opponent
- been deliberately saved by any opponent
*The first point of contact of the 'play' or 'touch' of the ball should be used.
A player in an offside position receiving the ball froman opponent who deliberately played* the ball, including by deliberate handball, is not considered to have gained an advantage, unless it was adeliberate save by any opponent.
* 'Deliberate play' (excluding deliberate handball) is when a player has control of the ball with the possibility of:
- passing the ball to a team mate;
- gaining possession of the ball; or
- clearing the ball (e.g. by kicking or heading it)
If the pass, attempt to gain possession or clearance by the player in control of the ball is inaccurate or unsuccessful, this does not negate the fact that the player 'deliberately played' the ball.
The following criteria should be used, as appropriate, as indicators that a player was in control of the ball and, as a result, can be considered to have 'deliberately played' the ball:
- The ball travelled fromdistance and the player had a clear view of it.
- The ball was not moving quickly.
- The direction of the ball was not unexpected.
- The player had time to co-ordinate their body movement, i.e. it was not a case of instinctive stetchng or jumping, or a movement that achieved limited contact/ control.
- A ball moving on the ground is easier to play than a ballin the air.
A 'save' is when a player stops, or attempts to stop, a ball which is going into or very close to the goal with any part of the body except the hands/arms (unless the goalkeeper within the penalty area).
In situations where:
- a player moving from, or standing in, an offside position is in the way of an opponent and interferes with the movement of the opponent towards the ball, this is an offside offence if it impacts on the ability of the opponent to play or challenge for the ball; if the player moves into the way of an opponent and impedes the opponent's progress (e.g. blocks the opponent), the offence should be penalised under Law 12.
- a player in an offside position is moving towards the ball and is fouled before playing or attempting to play the ball and is fouled before playing or attempting to play the ball, the foul is penalised as it has occurred before the offside offence
- an offence is committed against a player in an offside position who is already playing or attempting to play the ball, or challenging an opponent for the ball, the offside offence is penalised as it has occurred before the foul challenge
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