The offside rule is one of the most debated and misunderstood rules in soccer. Simply put, a player is in an offside position if:

• They are in the opponents' half of the field.
• They are closer to the opponents' goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent.

Being in an offside position is not an offence in itself. A player is only penalized if they are involved in active play by:

• Interfering with play (playing or touching the ball passed or touched by a teammate).
• Interfering with an opponent (preventing them from playing the ball).
• Gaining an advantage by playing the ball or interfering with an opponent when it has rebounded.