Choose the correct timing reference
IFAB Law 11 states the teammate-contact reference and provides further detail, including a goalkeeper-throw release point. The exact relevant contact matters. A freeze-frame after the ball has travelled can show a very different player alignment from the reference moment.
For a replay viewer, find the pass and the relevant frame before judging the receiver’s position. A camera focused only on the receiver may not contain that evidence. One dramatic finish frame is insufficient to recreate the full timing assessment.
Position and offence are not identical
The law explicitly says being in an offside position is not itself an offence. Involvement in active play then matters, including playing the ball or relevant interference with an opponent. Do not treat every attacker beyond the line as automatically penalised.
Conversely, an attacker need not necessarily touch the ball to become involved in a way the law penalises. The actual movement, opponent impact and full rule determine that question. A screenshot cannot establish all those moving relationships by itself.
An illustrative run explains the timing
Imagine a forward level with the relevant defending line when a teammate releases the pass. It accelerates beyond the defender while the ball travels, then receives it near goal. The reception image looks advanced, but that alone does not replace the earlier assessment.
This is a simplified illustration, not a ruling on a real match. Ball position, eligible body parts, opponent actions and other provisions can matter. Use the officials’ decision and full sequence rather than declaring a technical certainty from the example.
A useful boundary case
The goalkeeper-throw example also shows why “always freeze at the first contact”is too broad. IFAB’s current explanation uses release for that throw. The practical lesson is to identify the relevant action and reference point, not to memorize a single camera frame rule detached from its conditions. A highlight lacking the release may not support a precise timing judgment.
Compare matched perspectives
A replay with a different camera angle can change apparent depth. Do not compare one player in one frame with the ball-contact moment from another unsynchronized view. Broadcast analysis and official review tools have different evidential roles.
This article explains current IFAB principles without claiming to operate an official offside system or test a stream. It makes no match prediction, Canadian rights promise or IPTV Canada carriage claim.
Related questions
Does being ahead at reception alone prove offside?
No. The relevant teammate-contact timing and involvement rules matter.
Is an offside position automatically an offence?
No. Law 11 distinguishes position from punishable involvement.
Sources and scope
Scope notes distinguish published documentation, supplied information and editorial methods. They do not report a hands-on service test.
- IFABcurrentLaw11 — Teammate-contact timing position-versus-offence and goalkeeperthrow detail
