FIFA World Cup 2026

[Gregmal]

Never been a big soccer fan, but still trying to watch, and holy shit this offsides stuff in soccer is the stupidest rule ever. Ruining an otherwise exciting Portugal Croatia game. Like you really can’t have a step on the other teams defender? No wonder every game is 1-0 or 2-1. How lame 

Edited 20 hours ago by Gregmal

[LC]

Problem is if you get rid of offsides everyone just keeps a player out there to cherry pick and it screws up the whole game. 

[Gregmal]

Idk, hard to see how you screw up a game more than we just saw. That was pitiful. Totally ruined what could've been a classic. If someone wants to hang back, put a defender on em, plain and simple. Such a dumb rule. 

 

[Spekulatius]

1 hour ago, LC said:

Problem is if you get rid of offsides everyone just keeps a player out there to cherry pick and it screws up the whole game. 

You can’t get rid of the offside as it screws ups the game or more specifically how it’s played in the space. The cameras available now have made the judgment extremely precise and that alone makes the offsite trap a major gamechanger. You see now the defense teams relying on this swarming in perfect line formation. The same thing was done before the cameras were available but it was risky for defending team to rely on it, because the line referee may not be able to determine close offsite cases and let the play continue or give the goal.

 

Its useless to complain and remember before we had many cases of questionable decision like Maradonas god‘s hand or the Wembley goal that wasn’t.

 

So Croatia had bad luck, but the referee clearly made the right decision.

[Paarslaars]

4 hours ago, LC said:

Problem is if you get rid of offsides everyone just keeps a player out there to cherry pick and it screws up the whole game. 

 

4 hours ago, Gregmal said:

If someone wants to hang back, put a defender on em, plain and simple.

 

 

Won't work Greg, the pitch is so large that any strong/fast striker can easily pass a defender in a one on one situation when given so much space. Additionally most goalies also don't have great odds stopping a shot from a striker in the box when there are no defenders blocking...

 

In reality coaches will put two defenders on him. The result will be that their offensive capabilities reduce a bit by playing 8v9 and you're even more likely to end up with 0-0 games. It's a numbers game... 2v1 in the back greatly increases your defensive capabilities but 8v9 in front only mildly decreases offensive capabilities.

 

Have a look at indoor football, which does not have an offside rule. However the game is 5v5 on a smaller pitch with smaller goals. Here a striker that stays in front does not have a large advantage going 1v1 on a defender. However that strategy isn't even used because if you do this, the opposing team will attack 4v3, making position loss and getting countered unlikely. Also scoring here 4v3 is quite easy...

 

(I played outdoor football from 6y - 20y and indoor from 18y - 38y)

 

I understand the frustration though, some leniency in the rules would be better but how? Gotta draw a line somewhere... However you could for instance make a rule that says that passing the ball with the upper body/head does not count for the offside rule. This would have allowed the Croatian goal and many other goals where it's borderline, without creating situations that ruin the game.

Edited 15 hours ago by Paarslaars

[Gregmal]

Honestly I have no idea. I’ve never really cared for soccer despite generally liking all sports. I’ve tried watching the WC, and just keep thinking a lot of this stuff is just so stupid. Shouldn’t there be penalties for all the guys who get breathed on and act as though they got shot out of a cannon? Then you see these great made for tv moments like today, and on some bs technicalities Ronaldo is denied a goal and then one of the most clutch goals I’ve ever seen is called off? 

[Jaygo]

Football is amazing for its simplicity, not too many rules and the myriad styles it can be played within that framwork. Millions play every day without refs and lineman without problems.

 

Like any sport it does have issues and outsiders like you @Gregmal are key to getting those little tweaks to help the game progress.

 

I'm in the camp that Croatia goal should count, not within the rules of today but it should as a lifelong player of the game. The ball was touched by the defender and that should reset the play. If the offside rule is there to limit cherry picking than there should be limits to its use once the entire field of players are cramped into the 18 yard box imo.

 

Removing the offside rule entirely would have a bunch of negative consequences for the game but maybe some tweaks where anything in the 5 yard box is fine or something to do with the ball being played from within the 18 yard box. 

 

 

[Aurelius]

You can only suggest getting rid of the offside rule if you actually are not a fan/player. It's a totally ridiculous suggestion - sorry. 

 

There are def issues I'd like to get sorted. Like time wasting, cheating, professional freekicks (I'd like these yellowcard to give a 10 min suspension as they are so effective to kill the game). Having said all that I've thought the refereeing has been very good so far. 

 

One thing to keep in mind is that it's impossible for the referees to get it all right. Because they are human of course, but also because everybody never really agrees even after the fact with all camera angles if it indeed was a freekick, penalty or a yellow or red card. It's a continuous discussion after every match it seems. 

[SharperDingaan]

Oh how I miss all the dives and theatrics of previous decades  Truly was a beautiful game, when it was done very well! All par for the course.

 

SD

 

Edited 5 hours ago by SharperDingaan

[Spekulatius]

Here is the short version of German soccer game:

 

[Gregmal]

If cherry picking is the issue, that’s one thing. We have that in hockey and it’s called the blue line. There was also for a time a ban on two line passes. What I saw last night was disgraceful. The Croatia goal unacceptable. But even prior, the Ronaldo goal, it’s not cherry picking if they have to go to slow motion and draw an imaginary line where the two players are exactly even except for one guys right hand! Next time I’ll just watch baseball….

[hillfronter83]

VAR and hydration breaks are causing too much disruption to the game. I'd love to see them experiment with team challenge concept similar to NFL. If a team fails a challenge to reverse a call, then the other team take a free kick from a set spot outside of penalty box. The referees on the fields rely too much on VAR and are scared to making any calls. 

 

And the only 4 worst second place finishers should face group winners. Morocco shouldn't have play Germany in round of 32.

 

 

[TorontoRaptorsFan]

Should be a great F1 race this Sunday at Silverstone…

[Paarslaars]

2 hours ago, hillfronter83 said:

hydration breaks

 

You misspelled "american advertisement".  

[Aurelius]

Quote

• Should be a great F1 race this Sunday at Silverstone…

Unfortunately here we can absolutely blame the new regs! It won't be great as the drivers won't be able to go flat out in two of the most important corners due to saving energy instead (so they can go faster in a straight line!). It's so fucking crazy and ridiculous. Hopefully they'll get the regs sorted out as soon as possible. Hopefully going back to v8 eventually. 

[Aurelius]

Love F1!

[Aurelius]

@Gregmal I understand your feeling. The problem is though: offside is a black and white decision just like if the ball is inside the goal or not. Is what it is.

Also the refs and the VAR room know the rules much better than the public and it's their job to apply the rules obv.

Wrt offside I've heard it mentioned that they should/could change the rule to if the feet are offside or not. I tend to agree that might be better. Still we'd be having the issue regarding centimers offside, but seem better to look at the feet rather than the body. Easier to see and understand. 

[Gregmal]

37 minutes ago, Aurelius said:

@Gregmal I understand your feeling. The problem is though: offside is a black and white decision just like if the ball is inside the goal or not. Is what it is.

Also the refs and the VAR room know the rules much better than the public and it's their job to apply the rules obv.

Wrt offside I've heard it mentioned that they should/could change the rule to if the feet are offside or not. I tend to agree that might be better. Still we'd be having the issue regarding centimers offside, but seem better to look at the feet rather than the body. Easier to see and understand. 

Yea I admittedly don’t know anything about soccer and just found myself frustrated because I was watching what had the potential to be a great match and it seemed like every goal is held up and potentially negated because of a coin flip over something that to a casual observer, seemed immaterial