What is your position on the offsides rule (Soccer)?

[ckb2001]

What are you trying to find out?

The main reasons behind the rise in popularity worldwide of the sport (and whether the relative greater accessibility for the very poor plays a major role). It looks like (as my previous post explains) I'll have to do this region by region since there seem to be no good and easy-to-find links explaining this for the world.

Other than that, as someone who's played at a high level and watched the game since I was about 2, I can't think of any.

What level did you reach, as in league?

 

[Boomer]

The main reasons behind the rise in popularity worldwide of the sport (and whether the relative greater accessibility for the very poor plays a major role). It looks like (as my previous post explains) I'll have to do this region by region since there seem to be no good and easy-to-find links explaining this for the world.



What level did you reach, as in league?

Try this for South America:

http://www.socresonline.org.uk/2/4/2.html

This will also help:

http://www.historycooperative.org/c...orycooperative.org/journals/lab/89/burke.html

For South Africa:

http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/artsmediaculture/pages/sport/football-history.htm.


As for me, I was with Brighton and Hove Albion for 2 years as a kid (they were a 2nd division team) and had trials at Reading and Southampton, have played for the county (state) and 2 leagues below division 3.

 

[ckb2001]

Try this for South America:

http://www.socresonline.org.uk/2/4/2.html

This will also help:

http://www.historycooperative.org/c...orycooperative.org/journals/lab/89/burke.html

For South Africa:

http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/artsmediaculture/pages/sport/football-history.htm.


As for me, I was with Brighton and Hove Albion for 2 years as a kid (they were a 2nd division team) and had trials at Reading and Southampton, have played for the county (state) and 2 leagues below division 3.

Good stuff Boomer.. I'll take the time to read that later on.

 

[DPlus47]

The offside rule should be sorted out as I said. Then there's no confusion. And players that dive or that show imaginary cards should be booked immediately. And the game should be allowed to flow more. Putting your hands on a guy isn't a free kick. Let the players play.

from your keyboard to god's screen... or something like that.

i think the biggest problem facing the game is all the diving. it makes the ref's job more difficult and it takes away from the fan's pleasure. one thing i love about soccer is that the ref will not call a foul if it takes the advantage away from you or your team. this provides an avenue for demoralizing your opponent: if you're constantly playing through things and your offense is spread out and moving, your opponent can't even foul you. how frustrating is that for a defense? while playing on offense, why on earth would you want to dive and take the advantage away from yourself? i'm a big fan of keeping your fate in your own hands, and that means playing through real fouls, not falling at imagined fouls: ideally, the ref will blow his whistle if you really are fouled and impeded.

p.s. i would like to see the golden goal brought back.

 

[Prime Time]

I don't like Golden Goal. I like it the way it is now.

 

[HolliFinFan]

I don't like Golden Goal. I like it the way it is now.

I wouldn't want GG either. More people need to vote on this!
~~Holli

 

[Quelonio]

from your keyboard to god's screen... or something like that.

i think the biggest problem facing the game is all the diving. it makes the ref's job more difficult and it takes away from the fan's pleasure. one thing i love about soccer is that the ref will not call a foul if it takes the advantage away from you or your team. this provides an avenue for demoralizing your opponent: if you're constantly playing through things and your offense is spread out and moving, your opponent can't even foul you. how frustrating is that for a defense? while playing on offense, why on earth would you want to dive and take the advantage away from yourself? i'm a big fan of keeping your fate in your own hands, and that means playing through real fouls, not falling at imagined fouls: ideally, the ref will blow his whistle if you really are fouled and impeded.

p.s. i would like to see the golden goal brought back.

I liked the silver goal idea, you know that if a team scores in the first half of extra time, the other team has that half to tie the game, or they loose the game.. I like that the best.

 

[Prime Time]

I liked the silver goal idea, you know that if a team scores in the first half of extra time, the other team has that half to tie the game, or they loose the game.. I like that the best.

I kinda liked that, but I like the 120 minutes, no matter what too.

 

[Boomer]

After the balls up that was the Euro 2000 semi final, I think there will never be another dose of Golden Goal.

 

[ChrisKo]

I voted for no change to the offsides rules as it's perfect. It's the linesman's primary responsibility to monitor offsides. I've been an official for about 15 years now and I can tell you that watching offsides as a linesman is not the hardest thing to do. Sure, there are some mistakes made, but the game is meant to flow and if you have to stop for a replay to verify an offsides you've ruined that flow.

The only rule change that I feel could be beneficial is a modification to the injury rules. If play is stopped to tend to an injured player, he is currently taken off the field and allowed to return when the ref allows. I feel there should be a mandatory waiting period (possibly something in the 5-10 minute range) to discourage the faking of injuries to slow the game. If you're going to be a man down for that long, you might rethink about the strategy of faking an injury.

Other than that, I'm not sure what else I would change. I do agree with Boomer that some of the officials call the game too tightly and don't allow the game to play. I'm normally pretty passive in my officiating and allow the guys to play.

 

[finsmx]

I voted for no change to the offsides rules as it's perfect. It's the linesman's primary responsibility to monitor offsides. I've been an official for about 15 years now and I can tell you that watching offsides as a linesman is not the hardest thing to do. Sure, there are some mistakes made, but the game is meant to flow and if you have to stop for a replay to verify an offsides you've ruined that flow.

The only rule change that I feel could be beneficial is a modification to the injury rules. If play is stopped to tend to an injured player, he is currently taken off the field and allowed to return when the ref allows. I feel there should be a mandatory waiting period (possibly something in the 5-10 minute range) to discourage the faking of injuries to slow the game. If you're going to be a man down for that long, you might rethink about the strategy of faking an injury.

Other than that, I'm not sure what else I would change. I do agree with Boomer that some of the officials call the game too tightly and don't allow the game to play. I'm normally pretty passive in my officiating and allow the guys to play.

I like this idea, however I think 10 minutes would be a lot, maybe 3-5 minutes would do it

 

[Boomer]

I think Chris makes a very salient point about the 10 minute diving rule, the problem is of course how you differentiate between those who are actually injured. How many times have we seen penalties given by refs for blatant dives? Unless you had an eye in the sky - something FIFA have been very adamant against - it'd never work because you could never prove a player just fell over unless it was completely blatant.

 

[ChrisKo]

I think Chris makes a very salient point about the 10 minute diving rule, the problem is of course how you differentiate between those who are actually injured. How many times have we seen penalties given by refs for blatant dives? Unless you had an eye in the sky - something FIFA have been very adamant against - it'd never work because you could never prove a player just fell over unless it was completely blatant.

My stipulation is that if play is stopped to attend to the player. Usually when a player needs true medical attention, he's going to off the field for longer than 5 minutes. This doesn't really help the general diving that occurs as that's a much harder thing to fix. But this would help make sure these diving players get up and resume play.

 

[Boomer]

My stipulation is that if play is stopped to attend to the player. Usually when a player needs true medical attention, he's going to off the field for longer than 5 minutes. This doesn't really help the general diving that occurs as that's a much harder thing to fix. But this would help make sure these diving players get up and resume play.

Fair enough, but then the player could feign an injury and the physio will play up to it because no team would want to lose a player for 5 minutes or longer.

 

[ChrisKo]

Fair enough, but then the player could feign an injury and the physio will play up to it because no team would want to lose a player for 5 minutes or longer.

In my years of playing and reffing, I've never seen an truly injured player that has left the field ready to return within 5 minutes. Even cramps take up to 5 minutes to hydrate and stretch. Maybe 5 minutes could be too long and maybe the 3-5 minute range that was mentioned is better?

I just think something needs to be done and the only way to make the message clear is to punish the teams that purposely slow the game down.