Les wrote:
I don't think offensive players would camp out by the goal. There's no offsides in basketball and no one does that. In any case all the defense has to do is get back -- isn't that what it's for?
In soccer you do not need all the players defending. Defending is easier in soccer. The court is bigger. You can't run it from side to side like in basketball. The offensive players do not defend that much in soccer anyway. They would definitely camp by the goal.
hear me out bro wrote:
That's a terrible idea. Who wants to see a bunch of guys camped out by the net, cherry picking goals?
There is really no way to fix soccer without changing the game completely, so just watch hockey instead.
Best advice ever on letsrun.
terps wrote:
First, not to be a soccer (or football) elitist, but it is referred to as "offside" in soccer, not "offsides."
Next, offside has been part of soccer since before the Laws of the Game were written down, but has changed over the years. Initially, offside was like rugby, where all players could not be ahead of the ball. Then it developed to a 3-player rule (3 defenders, including the goalkeeper closer to opposing goal to not be offside). Then the law was changed to 2 players. Finally, the law was tweaked from behind the second player to even or on the same line at time ball is served.
Should the law be eliminated to increase scoring? No.
Eliminating offside would change the nature of the game, and would not necessarily increase scoring. The beauty of soccer is the dynamic, interactive ball and player movement from front to back. It is a coordinated effort. Eliminating offside would enable players to post up in front of the opposing goal, and stretch the midfield into a wide open space.
It would change the nature of play and the players. We may see much bigger, much less mobile players up front, with corresponding specialist-type defenders, who just stand and win long balls to lay off to on-rushing midfielders. It would be like a shooting drill, if you have ever played.
However, defensive tactics would have to adjust, so then we may see "walls" of defenders retreating in front of goal to assist the keeper, who could only be expected to make so many saves in the onslaught.
So the creativity of the midfield would essentially go away, and you may end up with just giants laying long balls off to sprinters rushing through open midfield space.
Just my take on the logical extreme of eliminating offside. I prefer soccer the way it is. To me, it is like watching a marathon: you patiently watch the free-flowing, coordinated movement of a group for long stretches, waiting for the tactical move that will change everything, and admire the finish.
When we played soccer as small boys on our large playground, I had no idea, what offside was and I don't remember that we would miss it. We routinely ignored it and nobody complained that it would make the game boring or stereotypical.
After I learned the rule, I was shocked that something so stupid could have been invented and I don't understand its sense until today. It basically locks the movement of players in front of the opponents' goal, so it is no wonder that goals can't be scored.
The idea that somebody would be waiting in front of the goal has really never occured to me. What are the defenders for, after all?! And why do the players actually bother to pass through the midfield even now? According to you, they would just always kick the ball from their own goal to the opponents' half, where their strikers are waiting, wouldn't they?
By the way, could someone post a link to a YouTube video with a soccer game played with no offsides? I would like to see, how terrible it would be.
[
It's an analogy. Like all analogies it's not perfect.
You'd end up with half the team crowding the penalty box all the time and loads of speculative long balls into them.
But how successful would they be in catching the ball? If they didn't succeed, the opponents could quickly kick the ball to their goal and considering that it would be basically defenseless - as you claim - it would be quite a silly strategy.
BTW, if someone is so concerned about players waiting in front of the goal, why not to establish some lines in the middle of the playground like in ice hockey? A pass through two lines would be prohibited by the rules.
The main reason, why soccer suffers from low scoring is the small accuracy of kicks (in contrast with throws in handball) and their small speed, relatively to the size of the field (in contrast with shots ice hockey). Besides that, the number of players on the playground is simply too big. If they concentrate in front of their goal (a la Greece), you have basically no chance to get through, especially when you must follow the offside rule.
Name wrote:
The main reason, why soccer suffers from low scoring is the small accuracy of kicks
You do realise the sport isn't looking for ways to increase scoring.
Nobody has a problem with how many goals are scored in a match (besides a few Americans once every four years.)
In basketball, there's a zone around the basket where players cannot camp out. This obviously solves the pack-the-box scenario. Probably far better then the offside rule. I get really irritated with some pros who are regularly caught in offside position.
has something to do with ball control too. Turnovers are a key aspect in every sport.
Defenders would just adjust their game to not play for off sides.
Think about your premise. No off sides = defenders letting offensive plays to get easy 1 on 1s with the goal keeper. That’s not going to happen.
Indoor soccer doesn’t have off sides. No one just lets people stand wide open for easier goals.
I’d say if you wanted to increase game play and scoring, look to take a couple people off the pitch to create more free space.
It's an American thing that soccer is "boring" because there isn't a lot of scoring. That just makes it more intense.
OK- when there are 10 minutes left in a 2-0 match, it seems hopeless and I wonder why watch?
But it's an exciting sport the way it is- and the most popular spectator sport I might add.
Why change it?
Correct!
If the Yanks want to change soccer why not try to become good at it at first?
I neither like nor understand soccer, but after watching a few games and seeing guys on offense who bust their asses running down the field get penalized for doing so makes me wonder what's the point of a sport that discourages hard work.
Soccer's already been fixed. It's called "football".
DiscoGary wrote:
guys on offense who bust their asses running down the field get penalized for doing so
Musings of a simpleton