The law governing its modern application has 45 clauses and runs to more than 1,000 words. A former Premier League referee ...

The ball goes into the net, the crowd cheers, but then the assistant referee's flag goes up. The celebrations end. What happened? The play was offside. Offside is one of soccer's most important ...

Even though it's fairly straightforward, soccer's offside rule can be confusing for casual fans. And even controversial at ...

It might be the most intimidating rule to learn as a new fan of the game. Even for the diehards, it inspires heated debates on a near-weekly basis. That's right: it's the offside rule. With the 2026 ...

VAR reviews for offsides are becoming more frequent Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images Get free access to the most comprehensive World Cup coverage in The Athletic app. Offside calls generating ...

Offside is one of soccer’s most debated rules, especially when a goal is called back. A player can be in an offside position without actually committing an offside offense. The call usually depends on ...

World Cup soccer is back again, which means one of the most controversial calls in sports is returning, as well. The offside rule has caused some of the most frustrating moments ever in soccer and is ...

For the tournament, we are taking a look at the major incidents to examine and explain the process in terms of both VAR protocol and the laws of the game.