McLean MPS Power U13 Girls Travel Soccer: Reprint of FIFA Law 11 -- Offside
To the casual observer of any particular match, perhaps one of the most confusing of the 17 FIFA laws of the game is Law 11 -- Offside. Here it is in black and white:
Offside Position
It is not an offence in itself to be in an
offside position.
A player is in an offside position if:
she is nearer to his opponents’ goal line than
both the ball and the second last opponent
A player is not in an offside position if:
she is in his own half of the field of play
or
she is level with the second last opponent
or
she is level with the last two opponents
Offence
A player in an offside position is only
penalised if, at the moment the ball touches
or is played by one of his team, he is, in the
opinion of the referee, involved in active play
by:
interfering with play
or
interfering with an opponent
or
gaining an advantage by being in that
position
No Offence
There is no offside offence if a player receives
the ball directly from:
a goal kick
or
a throw-in
or
a corner kick
Infringements/Sanctions
For any offside offence, the referee awards an
indirect free kick to the opposing team to be
taken from the place where the infringement
occurred.