A beginner’s guide to offside (and the semi-automated era)

Offside punishes being in the wrong place at the wrong moment — nothing more. A player is offside only if they are beyond the second-last defender when the ball is played to them, and only if they then take part in the attack.

The confusion comes from timing: the moment that counts is the pass, not the touch. Half a metre at the wrong instant is offside; standing beyond the line for ten seconds without touching the ball is not.

Semi-automated systems have made the tight calls faster and more consistent, even if they have not made them less painful. The best habit for new fans: watch the pass, not the runner, and the flag will rarely surprise you.