What is the offside rule in football?

The offside rule stops attackers from simply waiting beside the opponent's goal for long passes. Being in an offside position is not an offence by itself; a player is penalised only if they become involved in active play when a teammate passes the ball. Players cannot be offside in their own half, or when receiving the ball directly from a goal kick, throw-in or corner kick. Any part of the head, body or feet that can legally score counts when judging position, but hands and arms do not. Since 2018 video assistant referees (VAR) have been used at major tournaments to check tight offside calls.