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Sports 101: How Offside Is Called On a Soccer Match

Soccer or football is one of the most popular sports in the world. It is played between two teams with

eleven players with a ball. Soccer is played in a rectangular field with a goal at each end. The objective of

this ga e is to ake the all get i to the oppo e t’s goal, that’s he a tea gets their s ore.

To play the game is to abide the laws of the game

Today we will talk about offside in the game of football.

So how can you judge if a player is supposed to be called for an offside infraction? What does it mean to

be offside? It is probably the most confusing rule to understand in football. We take a deeper look on

the 17 Laws of the Game from FIFA’s offi ial rulebook; the Offside Law (Law 11) and this is our

interpretation of it:

First, a player is in an offside position:

- When an attacking player is in the opponent side of the field a d do ’t ha e at least t o farther opponents between the attacking player and the goal.

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Take note:

A. Goalkeeper or defender also counts as one of the two players.

B. The player cannot be called in an offside position if that player is in the same level with the second to

the last opponent or the last two opponents.

C. The player cannot be called in an off side position if that player is in their own half side of the field.

Second, a player is in an offside position by referee’s discretions:

- When the ball is played or when one of the offensive team touches the ball, a player may be called for

interfering with play or with an opponent or by taking advantage by being in that position.

Take note:

A. Interfering with play is playing or touching the ball is passed or touched by a team-mate.

B. Interfering with an opponent is preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by

learly o stru ti g the oppo e t’s li e of isio or o e e ts or aking a gesture or movement which

in the interpretation of the referee, deceives or distracts the defensive team.

c. Gaining an advantage by being in that position is playing a ball that rebounds to him off a goalpost or

the crossbar having been in an offside position or playing a ball that rebounds to him off an opponent

having been in an offside position.

Third, Center and sideline referees, offside might be called by either of them. The center referee will

blow the whistle to stop the play once spotted the offside. Also, sideline referee will then raise the flag,

sig ali g that there’s a offside i fra tio , alli g the atte tio of the e ter referee to whistle to stop

the play. The referee will then award an indirect free kick to the opposing team from the place where

the infraction takes place.

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Offside Explained

Exemptions on the Offside Ruling

There are some players who cannot be called for being offside; these are players (game play) during

throw-ins, corner kicks and goal kicks. Also, players will not be called in an offside position if it has no

impact on the play.

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