Hokey dokey
The Offside Rule and Offside Trap in Football(Soccer)
It is not an offence in itself to be in an offside position.
A player is in an offside position if:
he 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:
he is in his own half of the field of play
he is level with the second last opponent
he is level with the last two opponents
Commiting an Offside 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
interfering with an opponent
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
a throw-in
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.