Law 11 Offside and Onside in General Play

DEFINITIONS

At the start of a game all players areonside. As the match progresses players may find themselves in an offsideposition. Such players are then liable to be penalized until they become onsideagain.

In general play a player is offside ifthe player is in front of a team-mate who is carrying the ball, or in front ofa team-mate who last played the ball.

Offside means that a player istemporarily out of the game. Such players are liable to be penalized if theytake part in the game.

In general play, a player can be putonside either by an action of a team-mate or by an action of an opponent.However, the offside player cannot be put onside if the offside playerinterferes with play; or moves forward, towards the ball, or fails to move 10metres away from the place where the ball lands.

11.1 OFFSIDE IN GENERAL PLAY

(a) A player who is in an offsideposition is liable to penalty only if the player does one of three things:

• Interferes with play or,

• Moves forward, towards the ball or

• Fails to comply with the 10-Metre Law(Law 11.4).

A player who is in an offside positionis not automatically penalised.

A player who receives an unintentionalthrow forward is not offside.

A player can be offside in the in-goal.

(b) Offside and interfering with play.Aplayer who is offside must not take part in the game.

This means the player must not play theball or obstruct an opponent.

(c) Offside and moving forward.When ateam-mate of an offside player has kicked ahead, the offside player must notmove towards opponents who are waiting to play the ball, or move towards theplace where the ball lands, until the player has been put onside.

11.2 BEING PUT ONSIDE BY THE ACTION OF ATEAM-MATE

In general play, there are four ways bywhich an offside player can be put onside by actions

of that player or of team mates;

(a) Action by the player. When theoffside player runs behind the team-mate who last kicked, touched or carriedthe ball, the player is put onside.

(b) Action by the ball carrier. When ateam-mate carrying the ball runs in front of the offside player, that player isput onside.

(c) Action by the kicker or other onsideplayer. When the kicker, or team-mate who was level with or behind the kickerwhen (or after) the ball was kicked, runs in front of the offside player, theplayer is put onside.

(d) When running forward, the team-matemay be in touch or in touch-in-goal, but that teammate must return to theplaying area to put the other player onside.

11.3 BEING PUT ONSIDE BY OPPONENTS

In general play, there are three ways bywhich an offside player can be put onside by an action of the opposing team.These three ways do not apply to a player who is offside under the 10-MetreLaw.

(a) Runs 5 metres with ball. When anopponent carrying the ball runs 5 metres, the offside player is put onside.

(b) Kicks or passes. When an opponentkicks or passes the ball, the offside player is put onside.

(c) Intentionally touches ball.When anopponent intentionally touches the ball but does not catch it, the offsideplayer is put onside.

11.4 OFFSIDE UNDER THE 10-METRE LAW

(a) When a team-mate of an offsideplayer has kicked ahead, the offside player is considered to be taking part inthe game if the player is in front of an imaginary line across the field whichis 10 metres from the opponent waiting to play the ball, or from where the balllands or may land. The offside player must immediately move behind theimaginary 10-metre line. While moving away, the player must not obstruct anopponent.

Penalty: Penalty Kick

(b) While moving away, the offsideplayer cannot be put onside by any action of the opposing team. However, beforethe player has moved the full 10 metres, the player can be put onside by any onsideteam-mate who runs in front of the player.

(c) When a player who is offside underthe 10-Metre Law charges an opponent waiting to catch the ball, the refereeblows the whistle at once and the offside player is penalised. Delay may provedangerous to the opponent.

Penalty:Penalty Kick

(d) When a player who is offside underthe 10-Metre Law plays the ball which has been misfielded by an opponent, theoffside player is penalised.

Penalty: Penalty Kick

(e) The 10-Metre Law is not altered bythe fact that the ball has hit a goal post or a crossbar.

What matters is where the ball lands. Anoffside player must not be in front of the imaginary 10-metre line across thefield.

Penalty: Penalty Kick

(f) The 10-Metre Law does not apply whena player kicks the ball, and an opponent charges down the kick, and a team-mateof the kicker who was in front of the imaginary 10-metre line across the fieldthen plays the ball. The opponent was not ‘waiting to play the ball’ and theteam-mate is onside.

Penalty: When a player is penalised forbeing offside in general play, the opposing team chooses either a penalty kickat the place of infringement or a scrum at the place where the offending teamlast played the ball. If it was last played in that team’s in-goal, the scrumis formed 5 metres from the goal line in line with where it was played.

(g) If more than one player is offsideand moving forward after a team-mate has kicked ahead, the place ofinfringement is the position of the offside player closest to an opponentwaiting for the ball, or closest to where the ball lands.

11.5 BEING PUT ONSIDE UNDER THE 10-METRELAW

(a) The offside player must retirebehind the imaginary 10-metre line across the field, otherwise the player isliable to be penalised.

(b) While retiring, the player can beput onside before moving behind the imaginary 10-metre line by any of the threeactions of the player’s team listed above in 11.2. However, the player cannotbe put onside by any action of the opposing team.

11.6 ACCIDENTAL OFFSIDE

(a) When an offside player cannot avoidbeing touched by the ball or by a team-mate carrying it, the player isaccidentally offside. If the player’s team gains no advantage from this, playcontinues. If the player’s team gains an advantage, a scrum is formed with theopposing team throwing in the ball.

(b) When a player hands the ball to ateam-mate in front of the first player, the receiver is offside. Unless thereceiver is considered to be intentionally offside (in which case a penaltykick is awarded), the receiver is accidentally offside and a scrum is formedwith the opposing team throwing in the ball.

11.7 OFFSIDE AFTER A KNOCK-ON

When a player knocks-on and an offsideteam-mate next plays the ball, the offside player is liable to penalty ifplaying the ball prevented an opponent from gaining an advantage.

Penalty:Penalty Kick

11.8 PUTTING ONSIDE A PLAYER RETIRINGDURING A RUCK, MAUL, SCRUM OR LINEOUT

When a ruck, maul, scrum or lineoutforms, a player who is offside and is retiring as required by Law remainsoffside even when the opposing team wins possession and the ruck, maul, scrumor lineout has ended. The player is put onside by retiring behind theapplicable offside line. No other action of the offside player and no action ofthat player’s team mates can put the offside player onside.

If the player remains offside the playercan be put onside only by the action of the opposing team. There are two suchactions:

Opponent runs 5 metres with ball. Whenan opponent carrying the ball has run 5 metres, the offside player is putonside. An offside player is not put onside when an opponent passes the ball.Even if the opponents pass the ball several times, their action does not putthe offside player onside.

Opponent kicks. When an opponent kicksthe ball, the offside player is put onside.

11.9 LOITERING

A player who remains in an offsideposition is loitering. A loiterer who prevents the opposing team from playingthe ball as they wish is taking part in the game, and is penalised. The refereemakes sure that the loiterer does not benefit from being put onside by theopposing team’s action.

Penalty: Penalty Kick

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