Offside

Known as fuera del juego in Spain. In Italy it’s called fuorigioco. But in a most common football language, it is known as offside.

“What is an offside rule?” “Why did he get caught in an offside position?” “Could you explain the offside rule?”
For some football-crazies, those questions and its kind could be disturbing, especially if it asked in the middle of a match. Why? Well, the simple answer is because offside rule is very complicated! To explain the rule thoroughly and comprehensively, oral explanation won’t be enough. You’ll need a sketch explanation, drawings, or even practical explanation to describe this rule.

Theoretically, a player is regarded as in an offside position if: he is nearer to his opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent. Sounds simple, right?

But practically, it is NOT as simple as that explanation. The application of the rule involving the time when the ball is kicked by a teammate, the position of the attacking players, the direction of the ball when it’s kicked, the interference of play from the attacking players, which part of field of play, and so on. This rule is also based on the referee’s judgment. The rule itself has gone through several improvements and changes. On 2005, International Football Association Board (IFAB) included new set of terms and conditions regarding the rule.

Doesn’t sound simple anymore, eh? Well, I’m not going to explain the rule on this blog post. So, if you want to know it, go check: http://www.offside-ref.co.uk/laws/11-offside-rule/detailed/

"The offside rule enhances the perception of space. It focuses the player's mind on finding just the right moment to move."- Arsene Wenger

For some people, the rule seems to make the game boring. It is also responsible for making goal-less matches. Picture the game without offside rule we could see more goals scored (not really bad, though). But it would be a goal-to-goal match. The players would stuff the goal area waiting for the ball.

“Without offside, the game would be stupid. The offside rule made this game very intelligent.”- Michel Platini.

However, the rule brings evolution to the game. It challenges the players, whether offence or defense, to be more creative and more aware of his/her surroundings. For the attacking players, they have to be more thoughtful before making the decision to attack. They have to make the right timing to move or pass the ball, while paying attention to the opponent’s defense. For the defensive players, they have to cooperate well with their teammates in order to prevent their side from conceding a goal by utilizing the rule. That’s why football needs this rule. It carries out the players’ creativity, and brings more excitement for the viewers.

"It forces the player to use his intelligence, you always have to look out, it gives the defense a chance."- Brigit Prinz.

"It can support creativity as long as you know how to use it."- Franz Beckenbauer.

For those who know the rule, it sounds easy to judge a player to be in an offside position, whether for the spectators when they’re watching a game or for the players when they’re playing it. But if they were in the position of the linesmen, trust me it is very hard to officiate the rule. The referee depends greatly on the linesmen, while the linesmen have very limited eyesight. The linesmen have need to keep up with attacks and counter-attacks, consider which players are in an offside position when the ball is played, and then determine whether and when the offside-positioned players become involved in active play. So, it’s not wise to underestimate the linesmen’s responsibility or blame them for their misjudgment.

"Offside rule is good as far as creative play is concerned. It brings creativity and imagination to the game."- Kaka

For those who are annoyed by the questions asked regarding the offside rule, here’s the simplest and most convincing answer you can use. Quoting John Cleese from the documentary The Art of Soccer:

"A player is offside, when the linesman puts his flag up"

Ciao!