The Offside rule

[alfinyalcabo]

Would somebody like to explain it to me please..?

Ive just watched County v Coventry and seen some awful offside decisions given.. (IMO)..Guess I just don't understand the offside rule anymore..

[oldcolner]

Would somebody like to explain it to me please..?

Ive just watched County v Coventry and seen some awful offside decisions given.. (IMO)..Guess I just don't understand the offside rule anymore..

Here’s the BBCs attempt
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...nt/4993924.stm

[blueheeler1]

Here’s the BBCs attempt
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...nt/4993924.stm

"Gaining an advantage If the ball is played into the penalty area and he plays the ball that rebounds to him off a post, crossbar or an opposing defender, then the attacker is offside as they have gained an advantage by being in that position."

Really? I was under the impression that if a defender passed back to an opponent who was in an offside position the opponent was played onside!

Either I am wrong on this or else the above description '--rebounds off a -----or an opposing defender--" doesn't fit that option?

Am I--or the description wrong?

[oldcolner]

Really? I was under the impression that if a defender passed back to an opponent who was in an offside position the opponent was played onside!

My take
You are right where the ball is played to him by by the opponent, but if it hits an opponent post or crossbar and rebounds to him then that’s offside.
I think if a keeper tries to catch a ball and it hits his chest and hands then that’s played to him, but I think that is still offside by the rules.

[sinkov]

I honestly don't understand offside any more, and I've given up trying to, like a lot of football laws and rules, it's farcical. I'm not sure refs and liners understand it either, they're all over the place with their decisions, as they are with handball, the simplest law in the book, now reduced to a lottery.