Why I quit hating soccer.....besides the soccer moms!

[Steppenwolfe]

So, I keep trying to wrap my head around the logic of the offside rule. You would think an aggressive offense would want to out hustle the defense and get ahead of them.

If the same rule applied to basketball, you would not have a fast break, you'd have a half-fast break

The offsides rule does make for a more aggressive offense, and it doesn't allow for lazy front line attackers to hang out in front of the opposing goal.

 

[Streetcar]

How do you make offense aggressive if you let the defense be lazy and win

 

[bigtiller]

I don't think soccer players are lazy. It takes a lot of effort to play. Even a friendly game to kill an afternoon is work.

 

[Hay Dude]

Soccer……yawn.
You want action? Basketball, football, lacrosse, hockey, wrestling.
More hot moms, too. (Of course none hotter than my wife lol)
My daughter plays D1 field hockey. Even with her on the field, the game is pretty boring to watch. My son plays D1 lacrosse, now there’s some ACTION. Bodies flying! Fastest game on 2 feet!
Equally proud of both!

 

[Creamer]

Without the Offside rule soccer would be a very boring game. The players would have to remain strung out over the entire field and there would be a lot of long balls and chasing them or cherry picking. With the offside rule you will notice that most of the players are on about half of the field at any one time - it is just that 'Half' of the field moves with the position of the ball and slides up and down the field with the game as everyone stays involved.

I think one of the most confusing things about the offside rule is that the offense is committed "when the ball is played", i.e. kicked, but it is not called until a player that was in the offside makes a play on the ball. Quite often the players have moved and the so when the whistle is blown he/she is often not in offside position any longer.

On the other side the offside rule creates some great away from the ball play and makes some "mini games" between players. For instance, I remember one forward who was in great shape but was constantly in motion (not fast sometimes walking) in figure eight pattern that put him in an offside position about half of the time. This activity and how he played it meant that the defender had to constantly watch him as he wasn't jsut standing in front of the defender letting the defender watch the game. The other part of this is the offensive person timed his motions with lateral runs so that he was in motion and quicker to full speed when the ball was sent forward giving him an advantage over the defender who has to turn to catch him.

Another favorite of mine is the offside trap which is the defenders stepping up and forcing the offensive players back out away from the goal. It is a very effective strategy especially immediately after a run on the goal as any players left behind them are essentially out of play and do not need to be defended.

 

[dougtrr2]

My son's soccer team was excellent at the offside trap. But they were also masters of being right next to the defender, listening for the thump of a long ball, and then taking off running. By the time the ball came down, they were 10 to 15 yards down the field, ahead of the defender, and not called for offside, since at the moment the ball was played they were onside.

My first referee class was very enlightening. The instructor, who was English, told us the laws of soccer are written for someone who already understands the game.

Doug in SW IA

 

[MossRoad]

Soccer……yawn.
You want action? Basketball, football, lacrosse, hockey, wrestling.
More hot moms, too. (Of course none hotter than my wife lol)
My daughter plays D1 field hockey. Even with her on the field, the game is pretty boring to watch. My son plays D1 lacrosse, now there’s some ACTION. Bodies flying! Fastest game on 2 feet!
Equally proud of both!

I was standing in a parking lot waiting for my kid to get done with cross country practice. A couple kids were playing catch with lacrosse equipment. One of them missed a catch and the ball came rolling way across the lot towards me. So I picked it up to throw it back to me. Holy cow. I never knew a lacrosse ball was that solid and heavy! (keep heavy ball jokes to yourself). Now I know why they wear helmets. That's gotta hurt if you get hit. Ouch!

 

[MossRoad]

My son's soccer team was excellent at the offside trap. But they were also masters of being right next to the defender, listening for the thump of a long ball, and then taking off running. By the time the ball came down, they were 10 to 15 yards down the field, ahead of the defender, and not called for offside, since at the moment the ball was played they were onside.

My first referee class was very enlightening. The instructor, who was English, told us the laws of soccer are written for someone who already understands the game.

Doug in SW IA

That sounds pretty accurate.

 

[MoKelly]

My first referee class was very enlightening. The instructor, who was English, told us the laws of soccer are written for someone who already understands the game.

Doug in SW IA

I’ve been referring college tennis for quite a while.

There is no question the initial certification test plus all updates are geared to those with a very good understanding of the game.

However, the basic rules as outlined in Friend At Court are written toward beginners. Nevertheless, a good understanding of any sport helps with understanding the reasons behind many rules. Understanding the reasons behind the rule is critical in truly understanding the rule.

MoKelly

 

[airbiscuit]

That's not Cricket!