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muriel_volestrangler

(107,043 posts)
15. To be ruled offside, a player must be "in active play"
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 06:26 AM
Monday

The official rule:

A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched* by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by:

interfering with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a team-mate or

interfering with an opponent by:

preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or

challenging an opponent for the ball or

clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent or

making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball

or

gaining an advantage by playing the ball or interfering with an opponent when it has:

rebounded or been deflected off the goalpost, crossbar, match official or an opponent

been deliberately saved by any opponent

https://www.theifab.com/laws/latest/offside/#offside-position

In your OP picture, the ref has decided the yellow-circled Argentine player is not in active play. A moving video would be more helpful, but from the still, he and the Cape Verde player by him both look to be moving very slowly, away from the goal, and on the right (from the defender's point of view), while the pass is aimed at the left, so the ref's decision seems OK to me.

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Is the pass to the offside player or Messi? House of Roberts Saturday #1
It went ro Messi, but the goalie still has to account for the other player. ... aggiesal Saturday #4
I'd welcome a short, cogent explanation Bobstandard Saturday #2
See post 3. I hope that's a good explanation underpants Saturday #5
Not buying that explanation. See my response #7. n/t aggiesal Saturday #8
Thanks. I didn't realize there was an actual Messi rule Bobstandard Saturday #13
That's what I thought it referred to too underpants Saturday #14
If you know how offside works in hockey EarlG Saturday #9
When the ball is passed, the player who ends up receiving it underpants Saturday #3
What if the defending team is the last to touch the ball in a melee? House of Roberts Saturday #6
The defender touching it resets everything and the ball is open to everyone underpants Saturday #10
Not buying it. I've seen Offsides called under this same condition, plenty of times. ... aggiesal Saturday #7
That was how I understood it when I played underpants Saturday #11
No spolier alerts. Thanks n/t aggiesal Saturday #12
To be ruled offside, a player must be "in active play" muriel_volestrangler Monday #15
Here is why, I feel the way I do ... aggiesal Monday #16
Years ago, the "in active play" qualification wasn't there muriel_volestrangler Monday #17
This happened during the Spain/Portugal game ... aggiesal Tuesday #18
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