An attacker waits beyond the last outfield defender and receives a long throw-in. Spectators appeal for offside, but the assistant referee keeps the flag down. The restart itself explains why.
IFAB Law 11 states that there is no offside offence when a player receives the ball directly from a goal kick, throw-in or corner kick. The word directly is the detail to keep watching.
Track the next teammate’s touch
Imagine a throw-in reaching Player A, who then passes to Player B. The exception protects direct reception from the throw-in; it does not exempt the entire following attack. Player B’s position and involvement must be considered in relation to Player A’s play of the ball under the normal law.
The same viewing habit helps with a short corner. The first receiver can take the corner directly without an offside offence. Once that receiver plays the ball again, identify who is ahead of whom at that new moment rather than relying on where everyone stood when the corner began.
Do not extend the exception to every restart
A free kick is not on that three-item list. A goalkeeper’s ordinary kick from open play is not a goal kick merely because the goalkeeper kicked it. First establish how play restarted, then apply the appropriate rule.
Other laws still apply. The offside exception does not authorise pushing an opponent, taking a restart incorrectly or scoring in a way the relevant restart law forbids. A throw-in entering the opponents’ goal untouched is therefore a different rules question from offside.
When reviewing a clip, pause at two moments: the original restart and the next attacking touch. Name each event aloud before judging the flag. This keeps a clear, limited exception from becoming the mistaken idea that offside cannot occur anywhere in the move.