A short history of the offside law

No law in football causes more arguments than offside, and none has changed more often. What began in 1863 as a rule that banned passing forward has been rewritten, relaxed and reinterpreted for more than 150 years — most recently with video and tracking cameras.

1863: a game without forward passes

The Football Association’s first laws, agreed in London in 1863, treated any player in front of the ball as out of play. Like rugby, the game moved forward by dribbling and backing up the player with the ball, not by passing to a team-mate further upfield.

1866 and 1925: counting defenders

In 1866 the FA allowed forward passing, provided at least three opponents were between the attacker and the goal line when the ball was played. The three-player rule lasted almost sixty years. In 1925 it was cut to two opponents, and scoring rose sharply the following season as defences adjusted.

1990: level is onside

Until 1990 an attacker level with the second-last opponent was offside. The International Football Association Board reversed that: level became onside, giving the benefit of the doubt to the attacking side.

What Law 11 says today

• Being in an offside position is not an offence in itself. A player is penalised only if they become involved in active play.
• A player cannot be offside in their own half.
• There is no offside offence directly from a goal kick, a throw-in or a corner kick.
• The hands and arms of all players, including goalkeepers, are not considered when judging position.

Video and tracking

Video assistant referees were used at a men’s World Cup for the first time in 2018, and marginal offside calls became one of their most visible jobs. At the 2022 World Cup, semi-automated offside technology used tracking cameras and a sensor in the ball to help officials judge position more quickly.

Questions fans ask