| Offside Rule - Usually, soccer rules are easy to grasp | | | | sanctioned if the ball is heading towards him and he |
| even by someone that's watching the game for the | | | | has an intention to play it. Otherwise, if he skips the |
| first time in his life. You foul someone, you get | | | | game, he will not be called, despite having a clear |
| penalized. You hit him in the box, his team gets a | | | | offside position. |
| penalty. The ball goes beyond the marked area, it's | | | | An attacker is in an offside position if he is closer to |
| an out throw. Everything is really basic, except the | | | | the other team's goal line than the ball and the |
| soccer offside rules. This is one tricky rule and | | | | second last opponent. You'll often hear people say |
| although it's not in the original soccer cookbook (as in, | | | | "he was in offside, because he was further towards |
| it was added over the course of time) it's a much | | | | the goal than the LAST defender". This is actually not |
| needed one, so that's why I'll try to explain it a bit. | | | | a correct statement, since this doesn't take the |
| The offside trap rule only applies to attackers and it | | | | goalkeeper into account, so the LAST defender is |
| is meant to regulate both team's positions on the | | | | actually the second last, as the above mentioned |
| pitch. Without an offside rule, an attacker could | | | | offside rule shows. |
| simply stay in the other team's penalty box, receive | | | | So let's say that team "Yellow" is attacking and "Red" |
| balls and try to score. This would pin down the | | | | is defending. The ball is at the feet of Yellow's |
| defenders and they would virtually be unable to play | | | | midfielder and the Yellow attacker is a few meters |
| anywhere else outside their own penalty box, since | | | | further to the Red team's goal line, than the last Red |
| their main job would be marking the striker that is | | | | defender. Then the Yellow attacker is in an offside |
| lazying off in there. | | | | position, but the referee will only call an offside |
| It's also a known fact that attackers generally don't | | | | sanction if the Yellow midfielder passes the ball to |
| have the same effort requirements on the pitch, | | | | the Yellow attacker while the latter is in the offside |
| since they only need to participate in one phase of | | | | position. |
| the game (the offense), unlike defenders and | | | | If you're new to soccer, the offside rule might need |
| midfielders who have to participate in both the | | | | a bit of getting used to, but you'll soon be able to |
| offense and defense, thus having to run more. So | | | | spot exactly how and why someone was called |
| now that you know WHY the soccer offside rule is | | | | offside if you watch a few matches. Note that |
| there, let's see WHAT it is anyway. | | | | sometimes, the position of the attacker and the |
| There are two phases of the offside soccer rule: the | | | | other team's defender are so close together, that |
| offside position and the offside trap sanction. If an | | | | the referee will have hard time deciding whether or |
| attacker is in an offside position, he will only be | | | | not an offside should be called. |