World Cup Thread

[Benevolance]

The last defender acts as a sort of moving offside line. As long as an attacking team's player isn't closer to the goal than that last defender when he receives a pass, he's onside. Basically, it shuts down any cherry pickers from taking a long hail mary pass and rushing in on goal.

And it's unlike hockey where a team has to clear the zone before the attacking players can re-enter - as long as the offside player isn't involve in the play, it's a passive offside or some such and the refs won't call it. Or maybe they will. After this world cup, I'm a bit less certain about what's a penalty.

[hypernova]

The last defender acts as a sort of moving offside line. As long as an attacking team's player isn't closer to the goal than that last defender when he receives a pass, he's onside. Basically, it shuts down any cherry pickers from taking a long hail mary pass and rushing in on goal.

And it's unlike hockey where a team has to clear the zone before the attacking players can re-enter - as long as the offside player isn't involve in the play, it's a passive offside or some such and the refs won't call it. Or maybe they will. After this world cup, I'm a bit less certain about what's a penalty.

They called at least one that wasn't played to the player that was off-side that I remember.

Also, it's not when he receives the pass.  The attacker must not be past the last defender when the ball is played to him.  Meaning he can have a defender in front while the ball is 20 yards behind him, but as soon as the ball is passed (assuming it is towards him) he can blitz past that last defender.  He does not have to wait for the ball to pass first.

[Samstag]

You must have two defenders between you and the goal line, but the goalkeeper counts as a defender.

[patrickl]

It also depends on where the ball is. If the player is behind the ball when it's being played (s)he's not off-side either.