Question from non-soccer guy.

[WolverineSteve]

I'm not here to bash soccer. I rather enjoy the world cup, but it's the only time I really watch the game.

Offsides. I don't get it. I mean I get the hockey rule but in soccer it seems more like a judgement call. I know some games it's called on many passes into the attack zone (not familiar with correct jargon), and some games are more wide open. Where is the equivilent of the blue line in hockey, that is if the rule is similar.

TIA

By the way, the Sweden v. T&T game was awesome. I never thought a 0-0 game could be so exciting. What a lesson in perspective. Tears of joy for the T&T fans, tears of sorrow for Sweden...great stuff.

The England game was a dud however.

Looking forward to the US's turn.

Trading jerseys after the game is one of the coolest things in sports.

[Harvdog]

I'm not here to bash soccer. I rather enjoy the world cup, but it's the only time I really watch the game.

Offsides. I don't get it. I mean I get the hockey rule but in soccer it seems more like a judgement call. I know some games it's called on many passes into the attack zone (not familiar with correct jargon), and some games are more wide open. Where is the equivilent of the blue line in hockey, that is if the rule is similar.

TIA

By the way, the Sweden v. T&T game was awesome. I never thought a 0-0 game could be so exciting. What a lesson in perspective. Tears of joy for the T&T fans, tears of sorrow for Sweden...great stuff.

The England game was a dud however.

Looking forward to the US's turn.

Trading jerseys after the game is one of the coolest things in sports.

It is very simialr to hockey. If the player is past the defense before the ball is played then it is off sides. If the player is even when it is played then it is fair. A perfect example was in the Ivory Coast/Argentina game. Argentina played a perfect ball for the goal. Although, it is up to the side ref to make the call and many times they blow it.

The emotion is unbelievable. In 1986 I lived in Belgium. They made it to the Semis. People were insane. People were running up and hugging total strangers. There were tears of joy and emotions like you have never seen. It was unbelievable. I only wish the US would follow suit.

[Shoalzie]

The offsides rule in soccer is somewhat confusing. I didn't know about the rule where another attacker could be offsides but it won't be flagged if that man is not involved in the play. I think the rule makes sense for the most part...it keeps guys from cherry picking. In hockey, it's black and white, don't get into the zone before the puck does regardless of when it was played or who played it. Also, it doesn't matter if you're not in the actual play itself...you can't be in the offensive zone before the puck crosses the blue line.

[Harvdog]

The offsides rule in soccer is somewhat confusing. I didn't know about the rule where another attacker could be offsides but it won't be flagged if that man is not involved in the play. I think the rule makes sense for the most part...it keeps guys from cherry picking. In hockey, it's black and white, don't get into the zone before the puck does regardless of when it was played or who played it. Also, it doesn't matter if you're not in the actual play itself...you can't be in the offensive zone before the puck crosses the blue line.

Right. If you are not involved in the play in any way and are offsides than it can pass. Some refs will call it though making it similar to hockey.

[socal]

http://www.fifa.com/en/regulations/regu ... ,3,00.html

^^^ Open this link, then find a flash animation link labeled 'Click here for interactive guide to Offside Law 11". It will take you through the laws step-by-step.

[RadioFan]

By the way, the Sweden v. T&T game was awesome. I never thought a 0-0 game could be so exciting. What a lesson in perspective. Tears of joy for the T&T fans, tears of sorrow for Sweden...great stuff.

:D

T&T played with a man down for almost the entire second half after one of their forwards received a red card. Plus their starting goal keeper was hurt, and the guy who played -- Hislop -- was out-freaking-standing. It should have been 3 or 4 to zero for Sweden, had it not been for him. Dude's now a national hero and will probably never have to buy himself a beer in T&T ever again.

As to the offsides rule ...

What others have said in here. It's one of the most controversial calls in the game. It's supposed to be that the player receiving the pass has to be behind or even with the second-to-the last defender (the goalie being the last defender 999 times out of 1,000) at the time the ball is played/kicked by another offensive player. It's a judgement call that the refs have to make in real time and they often get it wrong, depending on from where they see it. A team of refs who are really tight on the offsides calls can stymie an attacking team, such as Holland or Argentina. On the other side, a ref team that doesn't call it can fuck over teams such as Italy that love to run defensive traps designed to draw the offsides call. Many of the refs in this tournament are well-known by many of the players, and many of them know their style of calling games .... sort of like having Bavetta (sp) or Crawford officiating an NBA game. Theoretically, they are supposed to call the game the same, but they don't.

[Cross Traffic]

Sweden also was diving more than Peter Forsberg. The one thing that irritates me to no end are players flopping around on the field as if they were shot in order to draw a call. The 2nd yellow card on T&T was a joke.

[Uncle Fester]

Ahhh, the "Offsides rule."

You wait hours and hours for some greasy Euro to kick a fukking goal and then the fans spend the next 10 years arguing whether the kickee was offsides or not. No one is ever sure.

Yet another reason why soccer sucks Nishlord's arse.

[Shoalzie]

Sweden also was diving more than Peter Forsberg. The one thing that irritates me to no end are players flopping around on the field as if they were shot in order to draw a call. The 2nd yellow card on T&T was a joke.

I wouldn't be shocked if that dude with the rat tail was a relative of Forsberg...

[smackaholic]

harvdog,

i ain't even much of a sahkah fan, but, I do know the rule and your stating that it is similar to hockey is bullshit. A defenders position means absolutely shit concerning hockey offsides. They can be in the red zone, at the other end of the ice or in the fukking penalty box. It doesn't matter. If anyone on the attacking team beats the puck over the blue line, it's offsides. The similarity is that, in futebol, the last defender is, in effect, the blueline. So, if he plays further up the pitch, it increases the likely hood of the other team being called for OS. It also increases the chance that he will be beaten, however. Kind of an interesting rule, actually. And damn tough to officiate.

Fess, if you wanna pile on a rule, go after the suck ass PKs to decice the inevitable nil-nil stalemate.