Offside (American football) facts for kids

Players from both teams must stay on their side of the line of scrimmage until the ball is snapped. The player who snaps the ball, called the center, can be in the neutral zone but cannot go past it. The line of scrimmage in this picture is the white 10-yard line.

Offside is a small mistake, called a foul, in gridiron football. It happens when a player crosses the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped. When a team commits offside, the ball moves five yards closer to the goal line for the other team. The down is then played again.

What is Offside in Football?

Offside is a foul in gridiron football. It means a player is on the wrong side of the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped. This foul happens exactly when the ball is snapped to start a play.

How Does Offside Happen?

Most often, offside is committed by the defense. This happens when a defensive player crosses the line of scrimmage before the ball is snapped. If a defensive player goes offside, the game does not stop right away. The play continues. After the play ends, the foul is announced.

The team that was not offside (the offense) gets a special choice. They can either:

• Accept the result of the play that just happened.
• Or, they can take the five-yard penalty. This means the ball moves five yards forward, and they replay the down. This is sometimes called a "free play" for the offense.

Even though it's usually the defense, offensive players can also commit offside. This happens if an offensive player lines up in the neutral zone. The neutral zone is a small area between the offense and defense. An offside foul can also be called if the player who snaps the ball goes past the neutral zone before snapping it.

In some high school games, this foul is called "encroachment" instead of "offside." However, the penalty is still five yards, just like in other football rules.

What is the Penalty for Offside?

Before 1925, if the defense went offside, the offense would get an automatic first down. They also got the ball moved five yards forward. But in 1924, football coaches decided to change this rule. For the 1925 season, the automatic first down part was removed.

Today, the penalty for offside is still five yards. This is true for most levels of football, from professional leagues to amateur games.

See also

• Encroachment (gridiron football)