How is offside reviewed by VAR?

Offside can be reviewed when it forms part of the build-up to a goal or a penalty (attacking team offences such as handball, foul or offside). A decision based on information from an assistant referee, such as offside, also needs a clear and obvious error before it is changed.

The IFAB VAR protocol separates two kinds of offside question:

• Factual, such as the position of a player: a VAR-only review is usually appropriate.
• Subjective, such as interference at offside: an on-field review is appropriate.

The protocol says slow-motion replays should generally be used only for facts, such as the position of an offence or player.

It also covers the assistant referee's flag: delaying the flag is only permitted in a very clear attacking situation when a player is about to score or has a clear run into or towards the penalty area. If the flag was delayed, the assistant referee must raise it if the attacking team scores, or is awarded a penalty kick, free kick, corner kick or throw-in, or keeps possession after the initial attack has ended.

Source: IFAB, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) protocol, 2026/27 Laws of the Game.