The Offside Rule..

[Andy @ Allerton]

What would be the effect on the modern game if we just ditched it? People say they want more attacking play. People say they want better decision making from officials, but the continual changes made to the offside rule just make it confusing and unreliable. I've lost count how many times just this season offside calls have been off. But to the fair to the officials - they are often racing down the touchline trying to keep pace with people that would make some international sprinters blush.

 

Has offside had its day? Would it really lead to laughable goal hanging? I'm not sure myself. The thing is that in the modern game, the pitch is made to look fairly small quite often. The teams are so organised that pressing and controlling space means the game is compact all over - from the defenders holding a line and pushing up, to the same happening at the other end.

 

If offside was abolished, then there would be a good argument for leaving your forwards up the pitch, which would mean your defenders would have to stay back to deal with them and vice-versa for the other side. This would leave a lot more open space to play the ball around in midfield and space would mean les pressing (There would be just too much space to press) which might lead to better quality football, better passing passages and more interesting games. Different techniques and tactics would have to be employed - but you could see that the whole pitch would become more 'active' as modes and phases of attacking and defending as managers and teams get better equipped to deal with each other.

 

At the moment, with the offside law in place, football seems to be changing into discrete passages where (in quite a few games with quite a few teams) you can more or less predict the types of areas where the game becomes 'interesting' - each side has its strengths and weaknesses - and due to all the coverage and all the knowledge collected from that - it is all getting predictable.

 

Could binning offside and using the whole pitch be an option?

[Rory Fitzgerald]

I wouldnt be against it.

[jimbolala]

its not as if there is an offside rule at the moment, its a jumble of several points put together by idiots which is open to discussion. they should either do away with )and your post does point to some of the merits) or make it clear cut. either way it needs to change as its a disaster at he moment

[Jacks Jackie Jackson]

It's almost beyond belief that someone who purports to know about football would seriously suggest binning the offside rule. You CAN see what the consequences of it would be, can't you? Please tell me you can.

[Nathan Explosion]

Hoooooooffff????

[carrafan]

It's almost beyond belief that someone who purports to know about football would seriously suggest binning the offside rule. You CAN see what the consequences of it would be, can't you? Please tell me you can.

 

He's put down his points, why dont you put forward yours?

Edited December 24, 2009 by carrafan

[Jacks Jackie Jackson]

He's put fprward his points, why dont you put forward yours?

 

They're not points; they're accepted facts which I was fairly certain everyone accepted. IT'd be like explaining why you shouldn't drive through a red light so I won't, thanks.

[goodrobotusses]

May as well watch schoolyard football if you're binning offside - goalhangers galore. Just wish they'd ditch all the modern offside interpretations and go back to how it was - if you're offside, you're offside. Yes, we might see more defensive football, but it's just made a mess of the game for defending. Besides, beating the offside trap is/was a skill in itself.

Edited December 24, 2009 by hisdumbwaiter

[smithdown]

There would be some games that consisted of ten men in each box jumping about and barging into each other, but we have plenty of games now where 20 men are in the middle third losing it to each other and celebrate bumping into each other, winning a free kick or a throw in and lumping it into the box after all.

[growler]

Go back to the original off side rules I reckon. It made for more intelligent play. The arsenal offside trap was still good to watch. Football is not just about all the goals, there is a lot more to the game and the offside rule created some of that.

[surf]

Sell the midfield and play a 5-0-5 formation. Sign Crouch, Carew, Heskey and all the big forwards and lump it up to them. Carragher will be our star player.

[Rory Fitzgerald]

I dont buy into all those who believe the ball would just be lumped. Teams that may apply that system would be the limited ones and if they did, the game would become stretched which in theory would expose them.

 

Ditching the offside rule would allow not restrict the opposition to being in line with the oppositions last defender and would allow greater use of the pitch behind them.

 

It would be such a fundamental change that it would cause massive changes to defensive systems that may take years to adjust to the different variables that would be involved.

 

Anyway, on a more realistic point, I would hate to go back to the old offside rule - football is a better game for the new rule. Fuck ups will always be made with the offside law but to blow for a guy 40 yards away from the main play is what we are talking about here - a huge backward step !

[Duncan Disorderly]

What would be the effect on the modern game if we just ditched it? People say they want more attacking play. People say they want better decision making from officials, but the continual changes made to the offside rule just make it confusing and unreliable. I've lost count how many times just this season offside calls have been off. But to the fair to the officials - they are often racing down the touchline trying to keep pace with people that would make some international sprinters blush.

 

Has offside had its day? Would it really lead to laughable goal hanging? I'm not sure myself. The thing is that in the modern game, the pitch is made to look fairly small quite often. The teams are so organised that pressing and controlling space means the game is compact all over - from the defenders holding a line and pushing up, to the same happening at the other end.

 

If offside was abolished, then there would be a good argument for leaving your forwards up the pitch, which would mean your defenders would have to stay back to deal with them and vice-versa for the other side. This would leave a lot more open space to play the ball around in midfield and space would mean les pressing (There would be just too much space to press) which might lead to better quality football, better passing passages and more interesting games. Different techniques and tactics would have to be employed - but you could see that the whole pitch would become more 'active' as modes and phases of attacking and defending as managers and teams get better equipped to deal with each other.

 

At the moment, with the offside law in place, football seems to be changing into discrete passages where (in quite a few games with quite a few teams) you can more or less predict the types of areas where the game becomes 'interesting' - each side has its strengths and weaknesses - and due to all the coverage and all the knowledge collected from that - it is all getting predictable.

 

Could binning offside and using the whole pitch be an option?

Serie A?

[Frosty Jack]

But the very reasoning behind all these new interpretations is arguably to open the offside rule up, to benefit in the kind of ways you describe.

 

It doesn't work, but still, it'd be a joke without the rule.

[Sion]

I reckon it'd be good to replace the carling cup with a mental trophy where you have no offsides and points for goals.

Be boss that.

[Andy @ Allerton]

It's almost beyond belief that someone who purports to know about football would seriously suggest binning the offside rule. You CAN see what the consequences of it would be, can't you? Please tell me you can.

 

I don't know anything about football. I've never been to a football match in my life. Wayne said so, so it must be true. Keep up!

[John am Rhein]

I've always thought they should try making it so you can't be offside it you're outside the penalty area

[Andy @ Allerton]

I've always thought they should try making it so you can't be offside it you're outside the penalty area

 

 

They need to do something. It's a complete shambles as it is. I can't remember a recent game where at least one offside (Usually several per game) hasn't been given.

[MFletcher]

Should go back to a straight choice between offside or not offside. None of this 'he wasn't interfering' s****.

[Andy @ Allerton]

Should go back to a straight choice between offside or not offside. None of this 'he wasn't interfering' s****.

 

 

I could live with that. This new rule is insane.

[Rimbeux]

It'll be odd, because most of the modern football tactics for attacking and defending are all about holding or beating offside lines. Some people say that the most pleasing sides to watch are those that play a really high offside line and compress the play.

[kop205]

Anyway, on a more realistic point, I would hate to go back to the old offside rule - football is a better game for the new rule. Fuck ups will always be made with the offside law but to blow for a guy 40 yards away from the main play is what we are talking about here - a huge backward step !

 

I don't think anyone misses that kind of off-side decision not being given (and in fairness, even under the old rule it probably should have been).

 

What people hate about the new rule is that it allows for b******s like standing someone well offside at a freekick and they just trot back causing all kinds of mayhem and confusion as the ball comes in; or stuff like the goal we got at Blackburn a few years back when Cisse left it and Fowler scored (or was it vice-versa, I can't remember)?

[John am Rhein]

Should go back to a straight choice between offside or not offside. None of this 'he wasn't interfering' s****.

 

When did they have that rule?

[John am Rhein]

I reckon it'd be good to replace the carling cup with a mental trophy where you have no offsides and points for goals.

Be boss that.

 

And a bonus point for every step-over and backheeled pass

[Nerik]

It would slow down the game for one and make route one football be played more often. As wrong as the offside calls may be at times defending/attacking with the offside rule is much more interesting and complicated e.g. stepping up at the right time, a striker bending his run. I think goals scored off a through ball will be a rarity.