Offside - what needs to be done?

[pokefast]

The offside rule as it stands is clearly not working.

Firstly Huddlestone's goal at Fulham, which IMO should never be given, how can you be not considered active when you not only go to play the ball, you actually do touch the ball, although very slightly.

Then Yakubu is given offside in the merseyside derby, when clearly, although offside, does everything to get out of the way. I accept the fact he is in the keepers sight but even if he wasn't there is no way Reina can see the ball.

Surely would be simpler for officials to just say if you're offside then you're offside no?

[mondatoo]

Also the Blackpool (non)goal was dodgy.The rule is ridiculously complicated to the point pretty much nobody even knows what it exactly is,just go back to the way it was 10 years ago,why did they even change it in the first place.

[pleno1]

if player is impeeding goalkeepers vision/sight then it should be deemed offside imo.

[pokefast]

if player is impeeding goalkeepers vision/sight then it should be deemed offside imo.

Surely going to play the ball when offside is just as bad no?

[kinboshi]

if player is impeeding goalkeepers vision/sight then it should be deemed offside imo.

Surely going to play the ball when offside is just as bad no?

Wasn't for Everton's 2nd goal - there was a player in an offside position in front of the keeper, obstructing his view.  Still, made no difference to the final result.

[TheChipPrince]

Being a linesman and calling the offside rule is a thankless/nigh on impossible task, harder than 99% of decisions a ref has to make.  I would never blame a linesman for calling an offside decision wrong.

[boldie]

lol @ people still saying the rule is complicated after all these years.

sure you can come up with some complicated instances but 99% of the time it's as clear as anything.

If V Nistelrooij can make a decent living out of understanding the rule, surely a ref and linesman would understand it?

Clearly the Blackpool goal was rightly dissalowed. The moment that player that is actually off-side goes for the ball he is active. the fact that he misses it by a whisker doesn't matter. Jamie Redknapp argued on Sky the other day that it should have been allowed and, although I actually quite like him when he does analysis, he was soo blatantly wrong it is unreal.

The Tevez goal was clearly off-side but just wasn't spotted by the linesman, nothing you can do about that...shit happens.

[mondatoo]

lol @ people still saying the rule is complicated after all these years.

sure you can come up with some complicated instances but 99% of the time it's as clear as anything.

If V Nistelrooij can make a decent living out of understanding the rule, surely a ref and linesman would understand it?

Clearly the Blackpool goal was rightly dissalowed. The moment that player that is actually off-side goes for the ball he is active. the fact that he misses it by a whisker doesn't matter. Jamie Redknapp argued on Sky the other day that it should have been allowed and, although I actually quite like him when he does analysis, he was soo blatantly wrong it is unreal.

The Tevez goal was clearly off-side but just wasn't spotted by the linesman, nothing you can do about that...shit happens.

You know they've tweaked the rule like 3-4 times in last year or so yeah ?

[pleno1]

How the hell can the linesman seee from his angle if a player is in the keepers vision?! wtf. ridic rule innit.

[boldie]

lol @ people still saying the rule is complicated after all these years.

sure you can come up with some complicated instances but 99% of the time it's as clear as anything.

If V Nistelrooij can make a decent living out of understanding the rule, surely a ref and linesman would understand it?

Clearly the Blackpool goal was rightly dissalowed. The moment that player that is actually off-side goes for the ball he is active. the fact that he misses it by a whisker doesn't matter. Jamie Redknapp argued on Sky the other day that it should have been allowed and, although I actually quite like him when he does analysis, he was soo blatantly wrong it is unreal.

The Tevez goal was clearly off-side but just wasn't spotted by the linesman, nothing you can do about that...shit happens.

You know they've tweaked the rule like 3-4 times in last year or so yeah ?

yeah they have tweaked it to "clarify" certain situations...mainly because football commentators and journos seem to be as thick as mince or just can't be bothered actually looking to see what the rule is before they jump on a band wagon.

[sweet potata!]

Well according to Shearer on MOTD the other night he says that Huddlestones goal was perfectly legit by the letter of the law, Personally i think it should have been disallowed, Gallas clearly tries to get a touch and if that isnt interfering with the Keeper then I'm lost,Shearer reckons that if you aint directly in the keepers line of vision then its all good.

[Josedinho]

Think the letter of the law states that you are offside if you are "seeking to gain an advantage". For me that includes going towards the ball or attempting to play the ball (will draw a defenders/goalkeepers attention when they could be concentration on players onside). I think it should also include players standing offside ready to be onside in the next "phase". They've stood there to get an advantage so they're offside to me.
In the case of players infront of the keeper i think it's hard. If you're up for a corner and the ball goes out of the box and you're going in that direction i can't say you are seeking to gain an advantage as it's accidental. Hard to prove cases infront of keeper imo.

[Hairydude]

Boldie Just because Van N knows the rule and plays it perfectly doesnt mean its a good rule.

If you are on that big rectangular thing called a football pitch you are interfering with play IMO

For defenders to play opposition offside is almost an artform... its a skill with timing. You might say well on the other side of the fence its a skill for Van N to beat the new system but the new system practically negates teams from playing offside altogether.

Defenders play players offside; they cant play active and non active players since they are not psychic; they dont know where the opposition pass is going to; its impossible to play at least 6 players offside (from opposition midfield and attack)

[boldie]

Boldie Just because Van N knows the rule and plays it perfectly doesnt mean its a good rule.

If you are on that big rectangular thing called a football pitch you are interfering with play IMO

For defenders to play opposition offside is almost an artform... its a skill with timing. You might say well on the other side of the fence its a skill for Van N to beat the new system but the new system practically negates teams from playing offside altogether.

Defenders play players offside; they cant play active and non active players since they are not psychic; they dont know where the opposition pass is going to; its impossible to play at least 6 players offside (from opposition midfield and attack)

True enough but my point was mainly to illustrate how baffled I am that VantheMan can understand the rule yet referees/linesmen/footie commentators seem to have a problem with it. Refs and Linesmen can make mistakes so that's fair enough but for commentators and pundits not to know when they get paid very well to sit there and give their opinion is ridic IMO.

I agree that the skill of playing off-side has gone out of the game lately, which is a real shame.

[RioRodent]

Due to the way a human beings eyes work (i.e. both point in the same direction) it is clearly impossible for the linesman to look along the line of the last defender AND at the player kicking the ball, at the same time.

They should either do away with rule altogether or look into training chamleleons to run the line.