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For parentsOffside explained:
for parents
Offside is the rule everyone argues about and few people can explain. Here it is in plain English, along with how it changes at youth ages.
It is about where the player was when the pass was played, not when they got the ball.
The simple version
A player is offside if, at the moment a teammate plays the ball to them, they are in the other team’s half and closer to the other team’s goal than both the ball and the second-to-last opponent. The keeper usually counts as the last opponent, so in most cases that means the last defender.
In other words, you cannot wait behind the defense for a long ball. You have to time your run.
Three things that trip parents up
- It is judged when the pass is played, not when the player gets the ball. A fast player can receive the ball well past the defense and still be onside.
- Level is onside. A player even with the last defender is fine.
- Standing in an offside position is not an offense by itself. A player has to get involved in the play.
When there is no offside
- On throw-ins.
- On goal kicks.
- On corner kicks.
- In a player’s own half.
How it changes by age
- 4v4, U6 to U8: no offside at all.
- 7v7, U9 and U10: offside is judged from the build-out line, not the halfway line.
- 9v9 and 11v11: offside applies from the halfway line, as in the full game.
Why the rule exists
Without offside, a player could stand next to the other team’s goal all game and wait for a long kick. The rule keeps the teams playing as teams and makes timing a skill. It is also why you will hear coaches talk about the timing of runs.
Why the call can look wrong
It is one of the hardest calls in the game. The assistant has to watch two things at once, the passer and the receiver, and at youth level there is often only one referee. From the sideline, your angle is usually worse than theirs. It is OK to wonder. It is not OK to shout.
Questions parents ask
Why is there no offside at U6 to U8?
At 4v4 the field is tiny and there is no keeper. The game is about touches and 1v1 moments, not timing runs.
My child keeps getting called offside. What should they do?
Watch the passer and the last defender at the same time, and curve the run to stay level until the pass is played. A coach can help with this.
Can you be offside from a goal kick?
No. There is no offside directly from a goal kick, a throw-in or a corner kick.
The rules, explained ›What to expect at U9 ›Field sizes and rules by age ›