Off-side Rule

[NEVTHEDEV]

I`ve noticed a `few` posters on here,on about the off-side rule.
Do you think it should be dropped altogether,it would certainly make the game more open and entertaining,and keep everyone on their toes.

[MikeSB]

I agree and would abolish it altogether and would favour the attacking side and hopefully more goals. Also there are many iffy decisions by the officials anyway and so could be unfair in some situations and important if like us, one clear decision against could make the difference between relegation and staying up..Maybe the linesman could then concentrate more on the fouls and pushing.

[crewebacca]

The offside rule's fine I.M.O, it's a lack of skill, e.g. dip stick forwards (for the most part) who are too dense to look along the line and stay on that are the problem. If goals are all you want why not put the posts in the corners and raise the bar ten foot or so.

[somersetcrewe]

I too think it is fine, it adds to the chess element of the game.
The biggest problem is that the authorities have tinkered with the rule so much in recent years that no-one really knows what is right and wrong now.

If there is no-one between you and the keeper when the ball is played, whether you received the ball or not, you are offside - simple!
And none of this "if there is air between you and the last defender, you are offside" too, like they introduced (and presumably dropped again) a few years ago - you just have to be in an advanced position, end of. It would make the lino's job that much easier.

And as for interfering with play, Cloughie had it right (as he ever did) - "if you're not interfering with play, you shouldn't be on the pitch!"

[AlexLeicester]

The offside rule's fine I.M.O, it's a lack of skill, e.g. dip stick forwards (for the most part) who are too dense to look along the line and stay on that are the problem. If goals are all you want why not put the posts in the corners and raise the bar ten foot or so.

I hope you are not inferring that AJ is one of those 'dipstick forwards'. :-D I prefer to think of him, and his former 'strike partner' Sean Miller as being geographically challenged.

At an U21s game against Derby the goals were on wheels. Fever Tox and I considered moving them to help our misfiring attackers, but the Alex lads eventually, and probably unjustly, got one back to draw anyway.

[jimmyboldon]

MIKESB asked so what if teams want to keep 3 players in opponents penalty area?
So, we have 3 forwards loitering/stood still/moving a bit in the penalty area, the defense needs a minimum of 3 defenders to counteract that.
The midfield becomes empty bar a few players.the penalty areas have 3 forwards, 4 defenders and a goalkeeper, in EACH.
Long balls to the forwards become the norm. There are no through balls (no space behind the defenders) and no/few one on ones.
Keep offside as it is.

[MikeSB]

Do other team sports like basketball or hockey have an offside rule?

Thing is its an impossible rule to judge where the linesman has to both see where the ball was last played and the position of the line of defenders and attackers and I don't think he has eyes or the ability to do that. Nobody has. Its mostly guess work and why they get so many decisions wrong. It penalises players like AJ and those with pace as I said, the linesman can't see a how a ball is played through from midfield at within a second spot where the other players are.

Its just another useless thing like playing football on wet and cold grounds where fans are freezing their nuts off and yet May-July nothing.

Too many old men running the game without any vision.

I have asked why as every football match is now videoed why that can be offered on stream to fans computers at the same time for a fee. Its easy, the technology is there now. More revenue just like summer evening football and no need to use the floodli

[AstonAlex]

Other sports do have offside rules or something similar, I believe, to stop the sort of hoofball that the lack of an offside rule would facilitate.

For example, in ice hockey the puck cannot be hit from one end to the other without an intervention by a player in the middle sector and there is something about the puck being played ahead of the player (rather esoteric and I can't remember exactly what as said at the Winter Olympics!). A similar rule pertains in netball so that the stronger (usually) women can't just chuck it from one end of the court to the other - as with football this means that there is room in the game for smaller, more skilful players and not just the Duggies and Akinfenwas of this world.

There is an offside rule in hockey, although it has been much modified over the years and is now rather more relaxed than in the laws of football. Rugby union also has an offside rule where players are basically not allowed to play the ball when they are closer to the try line

[jwar123]

They tried a different offside rule in the Watney Cup many years ago where the offside line was across the 18 yard box

[alexmick]

They tried a different offside rule in the Watney Cup many years ago where the offside line was across the 18 yard box

I remember our efforts in that competition although not the offside rule. We lost to Carlisle (I think it was 3-1) with the Alex player with the most number of appearances to his, netting one of the very few goals he ever scored. His...Tommy Lowry, AKA Twiggy.