what is the offside rule of goal keeper? not with players in Iran vs egypt match 2026

The goalkeeper does not get special offside treatment. In football, offside is judged against the second-last opponent , and that opponent can be the goalkeeper or another defender.

How it works

• A player is offside if they are nearer to the opponent’s goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent when the ball is played.

• Simply standing in an offside position is not a foul; the player must become involved in active play.

• Arms and hands do not count when deciding offside, including for goalkeepers.

What this means for the goalkeeper

• If the goalkeeper is far up the pitch, the offside line can shift, because the “second-last opponent” may now be a defender instead of the keeper.

• If the goalkeeper stays back in the normal position, attackers are usually judged against the keeper plus the last defender.

• The rule is the same in any match, including Iran vs Egypt in 2026: the goalkeeper is just one of the two opponents used to judge offside.

Simple example

If an attacker is ahead of the ball and ahead of both the goalkeeper and the second-last defender when a teammate passes the ball, that attacker is in an offside position.

If the attacker is level with the second-last opponent, they are onside.

TL;DR: the goalkeeper does not have a separate offside rule; they count as one of the opponents used to decide offside.