The Offside
Rule
Political Correctness
Disclaimer:
So as not to be perceived as imparting gender bias in any form. this article will use the masculine pronoun with the
understanding that all genders are implied if not stated. One of the greatest
strengths of the game of soccer is that it transcends all barriers to gender,
size and weight. Anyone can play, and play well.
The rules of soccer are quite simple and straightforward. Stay
inside the lines and play fair. However, as we all know, the exception proves
the rule. Which brings us to the Offside Rule.
The offside rule is one of the most
difficult for newcomers to the game to understand, the most challenging for
line judges to call correctly and the most obvious for an inebriated fan in the
farthest reaches of the stadium to identify. It’s a paradox of a rule. Simple to define, impossible in some cases to clearly enforce.
The Offside Rule Definition:
If an opposing player is positioned behind the last defender when a ball
is directed to that opposing player by another opposing player; then he is
offside.
Exception 1: If the last defender is on the
opposing half of the pitch (field) when the ball is directed to an opposing
player, even if he is behind that defender, there is no offside.
Exception 2: If the ball is being thrown in
from the touch (side) line and the opposing player is behind the last defender,
there is no offside.
Exception 3: If the opposing player is behind the last defender, but is
not actively involved in the run of play, he is not offside. Which then begs
the question: what the heck is he doing on the pitch?
The difficulty with the offside rule is that it’s purely
subjective. The line judge makes a call based on his perception of the relative
positions of the players at the time the
ball is played forward. And there’s
the rub. It’s all a matter of timing and line of sight. If you watch the line
judge you will notice that they will (or should) position themselves with the
last defender. However, they could be 100 yards or more away from the player
who sends the ball forward and there may be several players obstructing his
view. If the opposing player times his run perfectly and gets behind the
defense just after the ball is struck he could be seen as being offside.
Bottom line, the offside rule, when enforced, will almost
always call into question the visual acuity, mental clarity and parental
lineage of the poor linesman who raised the flag. And he may not always be
wrong.
