Offside

[Anonymous]

I'm relatively new to soccer and one thing people warned me about is how confusing offside is. It took me about 10 seconds to understand it. You can't be closer to the goalie than the last defender when your teammate passes you the ball. What are the complications? Why do people find this difficult to understand?

[Anonymous]

I will admit I’m one of those people who took way too long to understand it. I did not grow up playing ball sports and I’ve always had a hard time following the action on a field in real time unless it’s a game on TV with commentators and graphics. I was never looking in the right place when it would happen so I wouldn’t understand what led to the ref calling it. I think I was also purposely trying to stay kind of clueless for as long as possible so my kid wouldn’t feel any pressure from me. I can’t be tempted to give any advice if I don’t understand what’s going on!

[Anonymous]

For me, I understand the concept. I think I don't always see it in a game unless it is really obvious (which right now for the u-littles soccer it is because they don't keep an eye out for the defenders). When watching higher level soccer I don't always see the call.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm relatively new to soccer and one thing people warned me about is how confusing offside is. It took me about 10 seconds to understand it. You can't be closer to the goalie than the last defender when your teammate passes you the ball. What are the complications? Why do people find this difficult to understand?

Ha, you are close but don't quite have it. It is not about how close to the "goalie" you are. I would suggest just reading Law 11 in the IFAB Laws of the Game. It's only about 3 pages long.

[Anonymous]

At U9/U10, offsides starts at the build-out line and not midfield. That can be confusing for both parents and players (and for refs, as the build-out line is not marked on many fields).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm relatively new to soccer and one thing people warned me about is how confusing offside is. It took me about 10 seconds to understand it. You can't be closer to the goalie than the last defender when your teammate passes you the ball. What are the complications? Why do people find this difficult to understand?

I’m bored and need attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm relatively new to soccer and one thing people warned me about is how confusing offside is. It took me about 10 seconds to understand it. You can't be closer to the goalie than the last defender when your teammate passes you the ball. What are the complications? Why do people find this difficult to understand?

Because it’s really hard to see the person who’s about to be all sides or who isn’t gonna be offsides and the person who’s kicking the ball. If you look at when the guy kicks the ball and then you look at the guy running to receive the ball it might look like they’re off sides because they are closer to the goalie.

Because it’s when the ball is kicked to them not when they receive the ball.

Also, when the ball bounces off the goalie to somebody, there are so many people it’s hard to see who touches the ball first and if the opposite team is closer to the goalie than the closest defender.

[Anonymous]

Protip - call it offside not offsides (like american football/other us sports) - you'll instantly be held in higher regard by your fellow soccer parents.

Other than that, it's not really a difficult rule to understand so just maybe watch more soccer? See when it's called/not called?

[Anonymous]

Ahhh yes! Who wants to expand their technical offside knowledge and elucidate us on the 4 times a player cannot be called for an infraction? And the ref get these wrong at times too...

1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)

[Anonymous]

Both offside and offsides are a stupid rule that should be scrapped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both offside and offsides are a stupid rule that should be scrapped.

Otherwise, you would just have players just standing down in front of the goalies the whole game and were just playing kickball to them. Trust me, the rule is needed to build the play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ahhh yes! Who wants to expand their technical offside knowledge and elucidate us on the 4 times a player cannot be called for an infraction? And the ref get these wrong at times too...

1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)

1) They are not receiving the ball
2)During a corner kick - i don't think refs get this wrong often.
3) When the player is on their half of the field
4) penalty kick - also ref's don't get this wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ahhh yes! Who wants to expand their technical offside knowledge and elucidate us on the 4 times a player cannot be called for an infraction? And the ref get these wrong at times too...

1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)

Own half of the field
Throw in's
Not involved in the play

Can't remember the 4th offhand

[Anonymous]

The are a couple of issues with offside. When the players are younger and only have a center ref, most of the time this ref is out of position to see an offside. It is a total crap shoot on whether they will call offside properly. When the players get older and have assistant sideline refs, it does get better. But what I have seen is that many sideline refs are looking at the ball and not at players position for offside. So, by the time a pass is made and the sideline ref turns their head, the player appears offside, when in fact the player timed their run perfectly and the sideline ref was unable to see that since they were concentrating on the ball and not the players onside/offside positioning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ahhh yes! Who wants to expand their technical offside knowledge and elucidate us on the 4 times a player cannot be called for an infraction? And the ref get these wrong at times too...

1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)

Own half of the field
Throw in's
Not involved in the play

Can't remember the 4th offhand

Corner kick