What Would Football be Like With No Off Side Rule

[welsbyswife]

Just watching France v USA and started to wonder what the game would be like if there was no off side rule. What tactics would teams employ? Would they leave someone permanently up front to stretch the game or would that leave them short in other areas and unable to control the game. Would be quite interesting to see.

[tim_noone]

Might work for Burnley.. Wood is almost always offside!

[IanMcL]

Goal hangers!

[Fenwick]

Primary school?

[welsbyswife]

Would be great to see an old school poacher having a fag against the opposition goal post whilst everyone else is running their nads off!!

[Paul Waine]

Just watching France v USA and started to wonder what the game would be like if there was no off side rule. What tactics would teams employ? Would they leave someone permanently up front to stretch the game or would that leave them short in other areas and unable to control the game. Would be quite interesting to see.

I'd expect if one team chose always to leave at least one player up the field, then the defending team would always need to have at least one player marking them. So, it would make both teams short in other areas.

Add 2 extra players to each team to compensate, so that's 13 a-side. Then to conteract the "never offside" rule, introduce another rule that the ball can only be passed backwards.

We've now got the basics of rugby league. Let them also pick up the ball and away we go!

[Bin Ont Turf]

It would be stupid and crap.

[welsbyswife]

It was obviously brought in as a rule for a reason but I just wondered howhat modern teams would adapt.

[Leon_C]

I think that the offside rule is connected to the outlawed 'forward pass' in rugby. I'm not sure offside was introduced, rather it has always been there and evolved over time.
Eliminating offside would probably lead to both teams being spread across the pitch, all of the time - rather than moving up with the ball.
The counter-attack - arguably one of the most exciting components of the game, would be nullified, immediately.

[bfcmik]

It would make sense to extend the line from the corners of the penalty area to the touchline and say that if you are on or past that line and do not have 2 players CLEARLY beyond you and the goal line then you are OFFSIDE. If you are between that line and the centre line you are NOT offside. None of the interfering with play or not nonsense.

[FactualFrank]

It would be awful.

[martin_p]

Footbasketball.

[claret59]

It has been trialled and basically was a failure. There was a pre-season competition in the 70's called the Watney Cup and as an experiment there was no offside rule. It took defenders about half an hour to get to grips with it and the hope that it would lead to more attacking football and hence more goals lasted the same 30 minutes!

[Claretforever]

Baby lining

[tim_noone]

Baby lining

That takes me back...no goal it's a Baby Liner wtf!

[Wile E Coyote]

if it were abolished it would be awful to watch, but perhaps there could be some alteration. As it stands it is clumsy, difficult for fans and officials and frustrating.

[Bosscat]

Goal hangers!

Coat Hangers

[dsr]

It would make sense to extend the line from the corners of the penalty area to the touchline and say that if you are on or past that line and do not have 2 players CLEARLY beyond you and the goal line then you are OFFSIDE. If you are between that line and the centre line you are NOT offside. None of the interfering with play or not nonsense.

This would seriously interfere with wingers - every time the winger beats his man and pulls the ball back, he will be offside when the forward puts the ball in the net. Glen Little wouldn't have been half the player if this rule was in.

[boatshed bill]

The current rule is absolutely shyte.

[bfcmik]

This would seriously interfere with wingers - every time the winger beats his man and pulls the ball back, he will be offside when the forward puts the ball in the net. Glen Little wouldn't have been half the player if this rule was in.

Ah, yes. I forgot about them having the ball played forward to them. Anyone behind the ball when it is played to them cannot be offside would make the rule work

[bfcmik]

This would seriously interfere with wingers - every time the winger beats his man and pulls the ball back, he will be offside when the forward puts the ball in the net. Glen Little wouldn't have been half the player if this rule was in.

Also the rule in Glen Little's time didn't differentiate between offside whilst interfering with play and offside but not interfering with play. It was all about there always being 2 men between the last attacker and the goal-line. So Super Glen must have managed to play himself onside when crossing

[Quicknick]

They tried it in the Conference in 1987-88. At least from free kicks. Farcical.

[dsr]

Also the rule in Glen Little's time didn't differentiate between offside whilst interfering with play and offside but not interfering with play. It was all about there always being 2 men between the last attacker and the goal-line. So Super Glen must have managed to play himself onside when crossing

No, someone who was in an offside position but not interfering, was not offside.

You've missed the point. Your rule would see Little get to the goal line, cross the ball, and as the forward heads it into the net, Little on the goalline would be offside.

[aggi]

Players with pace would become a lot less influential. Players who were good in the air would become much more important. I suspect we'd be one of the clubs it would benefit the most if it was introduced.

[fatboy47]

Jimmy Adamson was a big advocate for getting completely rid of the offside law.

He knew a bit about the game.

[theroyaldyche]

Baby liners

[djemba-djemba]

They tried it in the Conference in 1987-88. At least from free kicks. Farcical.

I never knew that.
Do you have any more details?

[summitclaret]

Jimmy Adamson was a big advocate for getting completely rid of the offside law.

He knew a bit about the game.

Seem to remember that he wanted no offsides other than in the 2 pen areas.

[welsbyswife]

Seem to remember that he wanted no offsides other than in the 2 pen areas.

Quite like that idea. It would avoid out and out goal hanging but maybe stretch the game in the midfield area making it more open.

[Buxtonclaret]

Be a bit like VAR.
Only quicker.

[Devils_Advocate]

Basically it would be 90 mins of both teams launching it into each others boxes. It would be like an extreme version of Dycheball

[groove]

That takes me back...no goal it's a Baby Liner wtf!

Tart lining

[FactualFrank]

No offside and there would basically be no midfield.
Defenders wouldn't need to keep a line, which is an art in itself.

Overall, you'd be removing most of the intelligence. You'd also be removing short, attractive passing. Players such as Messi would have less of an impact, as one of the things he's good at is being able to do things in tight spaces - but without offside, there wouldn't be any tight spaces like there is now.

Thankfully, removing offside will never happen. I'm sure most football fans (once they've thought it through) would rubbish the idea.

[welsbyswife]

Not convinced it would result in teams launching it. If the midfield was more stretched the better teams with more skillful players who can keep the ball would be able to dominate that area. If a team like us tried to leave two up top all the time we'd never get a touch of the ball.

[Quicknick]

I never knew that.
Do you have any more details?

This is what it was like.

I remember going to a Barnet v Lincoln match. Bear in mind, if we'd gone down in 86/87, it would have been us. Lincoln were a big, physical side (nothing changes, does it). I remember whenever they were awarded a free kick anywhere within 60 yards, the big Lincoln forwards would stand in front of the goalkeeper. The ball would be lashed in as hard as possible and a melee would ensue. Often the ball hit several players in its way into the net if a goal was scored. It was awful stuff to watch. Of course, Barnet did the same, but Lincoln were better at it.

[FactualFrank]

Not convinced it would result in teams launching it. If the midfield was more stretched the better teams with more skillful players who can keep the ball would be able to dominate that area. If a team like us tried to leave two up top all the time we'd never get a touch of the ball.

Tight spaces would become a thing of the past. So skillful players would have less of an impact.