Can you be offside from a throw-in?
No. You cannot be offside from a throw-in.
It does not matter where you are standing on the pitch when a throw-in is taken. You cannot be penalised for being in an offside position.
This is one of the few situations in football where the offside rule simply does not apply.
Why throw-ins are exempt from offside
The offside rule only applies when a teammate plays the ball with their foot or head. A throw-in is treated differently by the Laws of the Game.
When the ball goes out of play along the touchline, the team that did not touch it last restarts with a throw. At that moment, offside is suspended entirely.
The logic behind it is simple. A throw-in is a restart, not a pass in the traditional sense. The rules have always kept restarts like this separate from normal play.
What happens if you receive a throw-in while in an offside position?
Nothing. Play continues.
Imagine this scenario:
The ball goes out on the right touchline
Your teammate picks it up for a throw-in
You are standing two metres behind the last defender
Your teammate throws it directly to you
No flag. No foul. Completely legal.
You can even use this deliberately as a tactic. A player can stand in a position they would never be allowed to receive a normal pass, and receive a throw-in there without any consequence.
The other situations where offside does not apply
Throw-ins are not the only exception. Offside is also suspended during:
Goal kicks. Any player can receive the ball anywhere on the pitch directly from a goal kick.
Corner kicks. A player standing in an offside position can receive a corner kick without being penalised.
Kick-offs. The same rule applies at the start of each half or after a goal.
In all of these situations, the ball is dead before play restarts, which is why the offside rule does not apply.
A common mistake fans make
Many fans confuse being in an offside position with committing an offside offence.
They are not the same thing.
You can stand in an offside position all game long without being penalised, as long as you do not get involved in active play. This is sometimes called passive offside.
The flag only goes up when:
The ball is played to you by a teammate in normal play
You are ahead of the last defender at the moment the ball is played
You actively involve yourself in the play
A throw-in does not meet the first condition. So no offside is possible.
Test the offside rule yourself
Still not sure exactly when [offside](/] applies and when it does not? Use our interactive offside explainer to drag players around a real pitch and see the rule in action.