I'll be the first to admit that I didn't watch a lot of the early rounds of the World Cup. I've mentioned before that I am just not that big of a soccer fan. It's not that soccer wasn't a thing when I was growing up. A couple of my really close friends played, and the town I lived in has a huge complex out by the expressway. I think pretty much every day in the summer they are holding tournaments there or having practices. It's a huge thing in this area.
My nieces play as you can see from the photo above, and even my nephews did to some degree at one point or another.
It's not even that I hate the game, I just don't understand it. I think it would be pretty short sighted of me to just say I hate the game and totally write it off. I think a lot of Americans actually do that. I've always said though, there has to be something to a game that is revered so well around the world.
I also think there is something to be said for a game whose fans are so passionate that they have the propensity to riot when something good or bad happens with their team. That takes some dedication right there.
As the rounds have progressed through the World Cup, I have found myself watching more and more. Now that we are on the cusp of the finale, I find myself watching even more games. In fact, I was watching the game between France and Spain just yesterday and I found myself totally confounded by something that happened in the game.
Spain was up 2 to 0 and there was a point in the game, maybe around the 60 minute mark where Spain seemingly scored a goal, but then they called it back because of off sides.
Off sides is the one part of the game that is totally foreign to me. I just don't get it. For the longest time I would argue that it's just some random thing the officials call because they lose track of what is happening in the game and they need to reset. Clearly, that's not the case, but there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to it for me.
So here is my honest question.
Can someone explain to me using illustrations or video captures why that goal third goal didn't count in the game yesterday?
I'd love to learn, but I am a visual learner, so just telling me why isn't going to cut it.
This is your mission soccer faithful. Give me your best effort to make me understand and possibly convert me over to the dark side of being a fan. I'm still going to call it soccer though...
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18 comments
Football is a game of tactics, sequence, agility, I understand most of the games are but.
If offside doesn’t exist, athletes like Usain bolt could be the greatest footballer of all time.
I like to see other response in different ways …
While that is probably true, it really doesn't answer my question!
It’ simplifies the rule with a degree to which the player body is close to the goal line. Else it would overcomplicate with the requirements to be at certain distance. Else someone would just stay and sneak close the the D box and just wait. No fun.
I am a fan. So, I think its cool :D
That wasn't the case in the game I watched. When the goal was made there was another person from the other team between the player from Spain and the French goalie.
I am trying to explain through Yamals not given goal. Spain players cant cross any single opponent player(France) near to their D box with France Goalkeeper goal line . The degree to which a spain player is near to France goalline while recieving the ball from their team mates would be given the offside (reciever is the only player in between goaline , excludes goalkeeper).
Yeah, I still don't get it. Like I said, I need pictures. I'm pretty sure there was another guy there. I guess the other question is, how far in advance does this have to happen.
I have to make a post I guess
:D
That's not really why the offside rule exists. In fact the offside rule created a demand for fast forwards who could run behind defenders even after giving them a head start. Usain Bolt is a pretty handy footballer!
The offside rule only came into play in 1863 and has been almost unchanged for 100 years.
However before that there was no offside rule for several decades. Games were totally different from what we are used to now. There were no 'midfielders' to speak of because the aim of the game was to just whack a long ball into opposition penalty area and have your attackers battle the defenders to get a shot. Speed and technical ability were not required just brute force!
Since then football is 100% 'a running game' and even more so in the modern era with the press, counter press and transition tactics which most teams play with.
In simple terms, It’s not to concentrate the game in the d box of oponents. Offside can miss out the tactis and sequence. Usain bolt is good fotballer I know which could potentially have good chances to sneak run creating offsides.Bozz here wants simpler explanation, may be you can breakdown better than me to understand. Cheers.
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Ah the offside rule! Traditionally explained using salt and pepper shakers on the kitchen table!
Essentially, when the ball is passed forward by the attacking team, the attackers (specifically those looking to run onto that pass) must have 2 of the opposition players between them and the goal they are attacking. In almost every scenario, 1 of those 2 players will be the goal keeper so essentially what the offside rule prevents is attacking players standing beyond the defenders at the time the ball is passed. As soon as the ball is passed they are free to make their run beyond the defenders so the skill element is timing the pass and the run to perfection so that by the time the ball arrives at the attackers feet they are beyond the last defender but ‘onside’.
I will screenshot the Spain goal when I get back home to put that into context but essentially Lamal moved fractionally too early and was beyond the last defender when the pass forward to him occurred making him ‘offside’ and resulting in a free kick rather than a goal
I'm pretty sure when he kicked the goal there was a French player on the far side of the field between him and the goal and then the goalie. Which leads to the follow up question I asked today, do they sometimes let off sides slide until a shot on goal happens? For example, if the guy hadn't made the goal would they have just allowed them to keep playing? Is off sides triggered by a goal being made?
Nope, I'd say it was the correct call if you look at the screenshot below. I've drawn in the offside line based on number 3 France (Digne) being the deepest defender. I know it's not the perfect angle but if you look at the lines of grass on the pitch, the 2 other French defenders are fractionally ahead of him. Ultimately a good defence needs to coordinate it's position so it's always in as straight a line as possible - if 1 player drops and another goes forward it creates a good opportunity for the attackers to break the 'offside trap' which is the technical term for what the defenders have successfully done there. The rules state that if any part of Yamal's body which can be used to score a goal (which is any part of the body except the hand and forearm) is beyond Digne then it's offside - so really, just the fact that Yamal is leaning forward is what makes him offside.
For the follow-up - the answer is yes when it's a high profile match like the World Cup and they have either video assistant refs or in the case of this tournament a semi-automated system for calling offsides. Essentially the 'linesman' or 'assistant referee' as they are called these days who is the guy with the flag standing almost next to Yamal and looking across that offside line, will always delay a marginal call like that just incase he gets it wrong.
As you can imagine, if Yamal was just onside and he puts his flag up to call offside then there'd be big controversy. On the flip side, when they allow the play to go on like that and the guy scores and everyone jumps around happy and they then call it back for offside, no goal, it's a massive anti-climax and I know a lot of fans who prefer the old way which was that the linesman makes the call there and then and play stops. Of course, in most matches around the world there isn't video/technology to support the decision making so most of the time the decision happens immediately and play stops.
That makes a lot of sense, thank you. It's the fact that they don't stop play immediately that makes it most confusing. It would be better if they did that. I understand why there are drawbacks to that, but it would make the game much easier to follow for people like me :)
There we go, the semi-automated technology they use to make the calls shows he's just offside.
If you were being ultra-critical, you'd say there was no need for Yamal to push the line like that. He's significantly faster than Digne . He could have given him a yard or 2 head start and he'd still have gotten to that ball first!
Yeah, they definitely should have stopped play right then :)
Now you’re talking like a seasoned fan! Most would agree😀
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