Should we do away with the offside rule?

[ozleicester]

Imagine the interest and change to the game that would come about if we simply did away with the rule

* There have been 6-7 changes to the rule over time
** Not related to Mav's offside last night 
 

[nnfox]

No.

 

Strikers man marking goalkeepers, defenders dropping deep to counter it.  You'd end up with both sets of teams in each others penalty boxes and the ball being lumped from one end of the pitch to the other.  Ironically, I think there'd be even less space for creativity as teams defend deeper and deeper.  Less Jamie Vardy, more Kiefer Moore.

[StanSP]

We'd still struggle to score. 

[davieG]

As it was introduced to stop goal hanging move the line from halfway to the edge of the penalty box or even just in the penalty box.

[Leicesterpool]

Can't get rid of it sadly but it should be adapted, for example when a player is either an elbow or toe poke offside then I can't see that being an advantage, for me it should be the whole players body has to be ahead of the defender for it to be offside. Also maybe like throw ins, perhaps players from a free kick can't be offside.

[davieG]

When you're off side by running back into your own half to try to win the ball something definitely needs to change.

 

I seem to remember when I started watch you were offside if in and offside position when receiving the ball.

[spacemunky]

4 hours ago, Leicesterpool said:

for me it should be the whole players body has to be ahead of the defender for it to be offside.

I've always thought the same thing.

 

Wasn't this actually proposed recently? I swear I saw a diagram that showed it and that it was going to be implemented at some point. Maybe I just dreamt it 

[Chelmofox]

5 hours ago, Leicesterpool said:

Can't get rid of it sadly but it should be adapted, for example when a player is either an elbow or toe poke offside then I can't see that being an advantage, for me it should be the whole players body has to be ahead of the defender for it to be offside. Also maybe like throw ins, perhaps players from a free kick can't be offside.

This doesn't really change anything - you move the problem slightly further forward. The whole body rule becomes the new normal and, and then when the attacker is a toe poke in front of the whole player we will be saying the same thing (not really gaining an advantage). I kind of think the current rule works now for this.  

 

5 hours ago, davieG said:

When you're off side by running back into your own half to try to win the ball something definitely needs to change.

 

I seem to remember when I started watch you were offside if in and offside position when receiving the ball.

This is one i feel should be adapted. 

[davieG]

7 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

This doesn't really change anything - you move the problem slightly further forward. The whole body rule becomes the new normal and, and then when the attacker is a toe poke in front of the whole player we will be saying the same thing (not really gaining an advantage). I kind of think the current rule works now for this.  

 

This is one i feel should be adapted. 

I realise that nothing will but it increases the playing area hopefully opening up the game more. The line of offside will always be there it might even reduce the number of offsides being called. 

[Lloyd90]

1 hour ago, spacemunky said:

I've always thought the same thing.

 

Wasn't this actually proposed recently? I swear I saw a diagram that showed it and that it was going to be implemented at some point. Maybe I just dreamt it 

Nah that is true. It’s Wengers idea at FIFA. Pretty sure it has been trialled.

[Leicesterpool]

2 hours ago, spacemunky said:

I've always thought the same thing.

 

Wasn't this actually proposed recently? I swear I saw a diagram that showed it and that it was going to be implemented at some point. Maybe I just dreamt it 

I think Arsene Wenger suggested it.

[st albans fox]

8 hours ago, Leicesterpool said:

Can't get rid of it sadly but it should be adapted, for example when a player is either an elbow or toe poke offside then I can't see that being an advantage, for me it should be the whole players body has to be ahead of the defender for it to be offside. Also maybe like throw ins, perhaps players from a free kick can't be offside.

 

3 hours ago, spacemunky said:

I've always thought the same thing.

 

Wasn't this actually proposed recently? I swear I saw a diagram that showed it and that it was going to be implemented at some point. Maybe I just dreamt it 

As mentioned its being trialled under wenger’s pushing 

 

bookmark this - it will be bad for the game which will become more defensive as a consequence 

[Trav Le Bleu]

On 02/11/2025 at 15:33, spacemunky said:

I've always thought the same thing.

 

Wasn't this actually proposed recently? I swear I saw a diagram that showed it and that it was going to be implemented at some point. Maybe I just dreamt it 

Eat less cheese before bedtime.

[CornwallFox]

On 02/11/2025 at 11:14, davieG said:

When you're off side by running back into your own half to try to win the ball something definitely needs to change.

 

I seem to remember when I started watch you were offside if in and offside position when receiving the ball.

When I started watching in the 80s (and I know you're older than me as we have actually met a few years ago, so I defer if the rules went in one direction then back in the other) you were offside if you were in an offside position even if the ball went nowhere near you. I recall arsenal's outside trap under George Graham very effectively creating offsides where players could be on the other side if the pitch to the ball. It was only when the idea of active/non-active players came in, not sure when that was, feels like a fair bit later, that it made a difference if you were near the ball. 

[CornwallFox]

On 02/11/2025 at 16:17, Chelmofox said:

This doesn't really change anything - you move the problem slightly further forward. The whole body rule becomes the new normal and, and then when the attacker is a toe poke in front of the whole player we will be saying the same thing (not really gaining an advantage). I kind of think the current rule works now for this.  

 

This is one i feel should be adapted. 

Agree pretty much with the bold bit. I didn't like Wenger's idea when I saw the diagram somebody else alluded to. Gives advantage to the attacker, will lead to defending deeper, just think it's balanced as it is, I'd just like to see video referring of offsides disused. Leave it to the linesman, make the rule intentionally slightly ambiguous (needs to be clearly offside withb the general rule as now) so that tiny measurements are irrelevant and accept a few mistakes. 

[davieG]

2 hours ago, CornwallFox said:

When I started watching in the 80s (and I know you're older than me as we have actually met a few years ago, so I defer if the rules went in one direction then back in the other) you were offside if you were in an offside position even if the ball went nowhere near you. I recall arsenal's outside trap under George Graham very effectively creating offsides where players could be on the other side if the pitch to the ball. It was only when the idea of active/non-active players came in, not sure when that was, feels like a fair bit later, that it made a difference if you were near the ball. 

I remember that  as well, they keep changing the laws to clarify and often it makes them more subjecting, harder to determine and negatively affects the game.

[davieG]

2 hours ago, CornwallFox said:

Agree pretty much with the bold bit. I didn't like Wenger's idea when I saw the diagram somebody else alluded to. Gives advantage to the attacker, will lead to defending deeper, just think it's balanced as it is, I'd just like to see video referring of offsides disused. Leave it to the linesman, make the rule intentionally slightly ambiguous (needs to be clearly offside withb the general rule as now) so that tiny measurements are irrelevant and accept a few mistakes. 

This is why they need to reduce the area of the pitch where you can be offside with out adding extra lines. It's daft that 50% of the pitch is out of bounds with teams pushing high up the pitch.

 

Let's not forget why it was introduced, to stop goal hanging. You're hardly goal hanging that far up the pitch.