offsides in soccer
Definition
A law in association football (Law 11) stating that a player is in an offside position if any part of their head, body, or feet (excluding hands and arms) is in the opponent's half and closer to the goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last defender.
A common, albeit technically inaccurate, colloquial reference to the 'offside' rule, often erroneously pluralized by fans and casual observers.
Examples
My uncle spent twenty minutes shouting at the television screen that the striker was offsides, unaware that the assistant referee's flag is not merely a piece of decorative fabric.
Attempting to explain the offside rule to a newcomer is the quickest way to end a friendship or start a very confused debate at a pub.
The striker looked at the linesman with eyes full of sorrow, knowing that being an inch too far forward is the modern equivalent of being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.