Can You Be Offsides on a Goal Kick?

After watching a game yesterday, someone asked me if you can be offsides on a goal kick. It’s a common question that many people have when learning the rules of the game. The answer is both simple and complex, depending on how you look at it.

According to the official rules of soccer, there is no offside if a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick.

This means that if the ball is kicked from the goal area and a player on the receiving team is behind the last defender, they cannot be called offsides. However, if the ball is touched by another player before it reaches the receiving player, the offside rule applies as normal.

Offside Rule in Goal Kicks

When it comes to goal kicks, the offside rule is a bit different than during regular play. Here’s what you need to know.

Applicability

Again, according to the Laws of the Game set by FIFA, a player cannot be offside directly from a goal kick. This means that if a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick, they are not in violation of the offside rule, regardless of their position on the field.

In addition to goal kicks, a player cannot be flagged as offsides on throw-ins and corner kicks.

However, it’s important to note that once the ball is touched by another player, the offside rule applies as normal. This means that if a player is in an offside position and receives the ball from a teammate who has touched the ball first, they will be flagged for offside.

I’ve gone in-depth about the offside rule which you can find here.