Offside Clear and Obvious?

The Offside rule can be controversial on a football pitch, you’ve only got to see the amount of matches where VAR has ruled heels, toes, etc. offside, but that is another story. in fact the offside rule is quite straightforward, look at the Fifa rules, and offside covers all 4 sections (position, offence, no offence, and sanctions), on 3 pages clearly defined so officials may make a judgement. So why does the Fistf offside rule (to me at least), seem so complicated, I fail to see the logic behind some of the rules in section 13, (of the Fistf rules), and trying to integrate them into a solo game for me just adds confusion.

Take a look back to the 60’s or 70’s, even the 80’s Subbuteo rules and life was much simpler. An attacker further forward than the last defender was in an offside position. You couldn’t be offside outside of the opponents area, and the last defender had to be inside their area to claim offside against an attacker. If there was no defender inside their own area any attacker inside said area was deemed onside. Now I think I’ve just managed to sum up the Subbuteo Offside rule in a few lines.

When I started playing solo the previous paragraph was fairly easy to implement because I wasn’t using any defensive blocks but the problems started to arise when I started a very limited form of blocking game. I’ll give you an example. During an attack the ball is played into the shooting area, where 2 attackers are positioned but there are no defenders inside the area which in essence means the attackers are onside (as stated in the previous paragraph), because the last defender is not in the area. Are you with me so far? One of the attackers cuts the ball across the penalty area for the other to shoot, still with me? The defender now under my rules can take a blocking flick because the ball has been played by the attack inside the shooting area, (see my post on blocking). The defenders block now puts its player lets say somewhere in front of the ball to try and block the shot, but further forward than the attacker who made the pass. Now does this make the attacker who passed the ball (who was definitely onside when he passed), offside if the ball comes past the defender? I’ve put a few pictures below to show what I mean.

 

A: The 2 red attackers in the area are onside because no yellow defender is in the area

B: The red attacker plays the ball into the area

C: The red attacker on the left passes to the attacker on the right, and the yellow defender takes a blocking flick

 

That's just one scenario, I can think of loads more but how many do you put into one blog post? I think that’s why the Fistf offside rule is so long it tries to cover every scenario, fair play to them they organise big events and have to administer the games that are played under their rules, but non of this helps solo players. One could just ignore the offside rule completely, one could adhere to the Fistf rules, but at the end of the day you want a simple definitive set of rules that one can remember and implement quickly and easily without too much head scratching or remember who was where at any one time. Playing solo means you are doing more than one job at a time, and to enjoy it in my opinion means games have to have a certain amount of fluidity to them, with rules that allow it flow. I’m not trying to say my rules are the way you should play, what I’m trying to convey is that less can sometimes be more, why complicate something that doesn’t have to be.

I’m going to explain the principles I apply to my offside play in as much detail as I can, In the hope that you can see what's possible if you give it a little thought. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, I’m no expert, and by throwing some ideas around may give you some ideas of your own.

 

The Principles

Any reference to the area means the shooting area.

1. Once the ball is played past the last defender, if you are not offside at this point you continue to be onside whilst the ball remains in the area, and not checked again until the ball is played out of the area when the offside is then reset.

 

2. If no defender is inside the area all attackers inside are played onside whilst the ball remains inside the area. Again the offside is reset if the ball is played outside the area.

3. If an attacker is in an offside position and a shot is made in front of the line of the last defender you can be called offside only after the ball is saved or hits the woodwork (goalkeepers and the woodwork are neutral with regards to possession), but only if the attack are deemed to be still in possession. If a goal is scored from the shot the goal stands.

4. There are no offsides from set pieces, (corners, throw ins, and free kicks), inside the area.

5. The attackers can only be called offside whilst they are in possession and cannot play themselves onside by playing the ball off a defender.

6. The attackers can only be played onside by the defence who either, lose possession in the area, or have no defender in the area.

 

The Principles Explained 

The following are explanations of the above to give an insight into my thinking.

1. This needs little explanation, but once the ball is flicked by an attacker past the last defender and the attacking team is not offside at this point, they remain onside for the remaining duration of possession in the area. In other words if the attack is deemed onside it remains onside, and offside will only be checked again if the ball goes outside of the area and then played past the last defender in the area again.

2. Same as above really the attackers inside the area are onside because no defender is there so the attack will remain onside until the ball is played out the area when it’s all reset again. So in the scenario mentioned above the blocking flick has no effect on an offside decision (in my rules), until the ball goes out of the area. Offside is only checked once that's it, the attacker making the pass wasn’t offside when he passed and no subsequent offside will be called until the ball is played outside and then back into the area by the attack. Believe it or not if you set it out on the pitch I promise it does make sense.

3. There’s an attacker in an offside position (bless him) taking an onside flick (tick flick) at this point could possibly be detrimental to a shooting opportunity, as the defender gets an onside block. So do what any red blooded footballer would do try and break the back of the net. If your effort scores it counts, but if it’s somehow miraculously saved or hits the woodwork and your still in possession then call him offside (as well as a few choice words). If it goes for a corner, you take a corner etc. But if the shot hits the offside player on the way its offside, goals and corner kicks as if by magic then become goal kicks.

4. No offsides from set pieces in the shooting area, this is my attempt at dealing with all the set piece offside scenarios in one hit, no more flicking corner kickers, throw in takers onside, no more dubious free kick offside decisions in the area none at all, all gone, vanished, demised, they have ceased to be. As long as the ball remains in the area, if it goes outside the offside is once again reset. But there’s always a but, I made all free kicks in the area indirect the same as outside basically just to compensate this rule. Now I can hear a few mutterings at the back, how do you take a indirect penalty kick? You don’t a penalty is still a penalty.

5. The attack have to be in possession of the ball and have physically played the ball past the last defender for an offside call.

6. The defenders have to be in possession of the ball to play the attack onside (except in the case of no defenders in the area) If a defender gives the ball to any attacker inside the area offside or not, (the attacker touches it), this action plays all attackers onside whilst the ball remains in the area. If a defender misses the ball giving possession back to the attack in the area that also has the effect of playing the attack onside whilst the ball remains in the area. Again if the ball is played outside of the area the offside is reset.

As can be seen from the above especially from point 6, once the ball is in the area the defence if in possession have to be careful not to give the ball away or it may end in tears. These principles make me consider the defensive options and strategies as well as the attacking opportunities. You may think the attack have a distinct advantage with the above, I've not found it so. It simplifies a rule for my solo play and makes my games flow, especially when trying to play at a reasonable pace, which is how I like to play.

Onside Flicks

That brings me to onside flicks which are needed to compliment the offside rule. There’s no mystery here if your in possession and have players in offside positions you are allowed to flick them onside as follows. I’m of the opinion that they do not need any further explanation, (that's if my opinion counts for anything).

A. For any period of possession an Attacker can take up to 3 onside flicks to attempt to put a player/s in an offside position into an onside position before the ball is played past the last defender.

B. For every onside flick the defence get a blocking flick (taken alternately), the blocking flick must be limited to the defensive half of the field, and end up no closer than 25mm from an attacker or the ball, it is moved away towards its own goal line and parallel to the touchline to comply.

C. A defenders onside blocking flick is not allowed to make an attacker offside, if it does it is replaced to its former position, and the block is lost.

D. Any figure following an onside flick/block that touches an opponent or the ball commits a foul if this is an attacker a free kick to the defence is awarded and vice versa. The team now deemed in possession may take a free kick or play an advantage as they see fit.

E. An attacker flicked onside cannot be used until another teammate has played the ball. An onside flick can be taken directly following a free kick providing the team taking the onside flick is in possession.

There seems a lot to take in but look at this way, the rules, ideas, principles, call them what you will, are there to cover the eventuality of not being able to get the attackers onside. Most of the time you can see an offside player and play accordingly.

I think that's about it, I’ve given you an insight to my offside rules, hopefully if you came here for a few ideas, I hope you’ve not been disappointed, if you have let me know, share your own thoughts and ideas on offside in solo play, the more ideas we have the more we can bring to our games.

Keep on Flicking.

Ian