As the World Cup approaches, one of soccer’s most elusive phrases will pop up again and again on televisions across the country. You’ve heard it, you may claim to understand it, but what exactly is offside in soccer? When it comes to soccer, the term “offside” is infamously confusing. The rule has to do with offensive players’ positions relative to the opposing team’s defenders, which can be difficult to visualize and call in real time. So difficult, in fact, that professional soccer leagues have implemented special technology to help discern close calls. Even World Cup watchers familiar with the rule might need a refresher, as the rule has changed over the years. Since April, FIFA has been trialing a new version of the rule with the Canadian Premier League to favor attacking players. So, as you gear up to watch this year’s World Cup, take our quiz below to learn what exactly constitutes an offside offense. Soccer offsides rule quiz var pymParent = new pym.Parent('offsides-quiz', 'https://visuals.otsops.com/projects/offsides-quiz/index.html', {title: '', parenturlparam: '', parenturlvalue: ''}); 2026 FIFA World Cup My New Favorite Futbolista May 27 Meet the soccer stars to root for at the 2026 FIFA World Cup 2026 World Cup May 8 Building the 2026 FIFA World Cup ultimate footballer ...read more read less