FIFA ponder scrapping offsides

[David]

FIFA are considering scrapping the offside rule, according to a report in The Times.

The newspaper reports that FIFA president Sepp Blatter has discussed what would be the most radical rule change in the sport for decades.

Blatter has apparently spoken to the president of the International Hockey Federation, Leandro Nagre, about how hockey abolished the rule in the 1990s.

"He asked me a lot of questions about it and how successful it was, although he never offered an opinion, so it was difficult to judge what football might do," said Negre.

"But he did seem very interested in how we had implemented it."

The offside rule in hockey was abolished in 1998 after a trial period two years earlier, a move which has been credited with making the game more free-flowing and exciting as a spectacle.

Veteran BBC sports commentator Barry Davies firmly believed that it would be a great move for football.

"I would love to see it given a trial in the lower leagues," he said.

"It would probably take a long time for players to adjust. It's also very demanding physically, but I was amazed at how quickly hockey adapted and there's no doubt the game is better for it."

Davies believes that the abolition of offside is not the only rule that football could borrow from hockey, suggesting that the green card - which leads to a two minutes in the sin bin for players - would also work well.

Toby Keel / Eurosport

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/02032010/58/world-cup-2010-fifa-ponder-scrapping-offsides.html

[Perky1106]

No there has to be an offside rule.

[MrOrdinary]

do you know how hard it is to defend, with no offsides, nigh on impossible,

could be intresting though to be fair, but i am against it

do

[David]

I mean this might sound crazy but why not go back to the old offside rule that worked?

Instead of tinkering with the rules of football, bring video technology into the game that managers, players and fans are calling for.

I still don't get why Football is so behind the times, even Tennis uses it now.

[vicky-27]

If it ain't broke don't try and fix it , what the chuff has hockey got to do with it anyway :confused: we need to get rid of all the coffin dodgers at fifa - and the fa and get some young 'uns in, besides it took ages to learn

[Thornhill]

it's so his favourite team, Real Madrid can have Ronaldo and Higuain scoring about 10 goals a game each.

[GboroRam]

IIRC there used to be no offsides in the 'good old days' and effectively each team would play one or two "kick-throughs" to go sit on the goal line and wait for a ball to be hammered upfield.

Fecking stupid idea if you ask me.

[Perky1106]

If it ain't broke don't try and fix it , what the chuff has hockey got to do with it anyway :confused: we need to get rid of all the coffin dodgers at fifa - and the fa and get some young 'uns in, besides it took ages to learn

I think Neil Warnock should be FIFA president. It seems the current lot are losing their marbles and on the verge of popping their clogs.

The offside rule's fine until it gets to the confusion of who was/wasn't involved in play. It just needs video technology.

Taking away the offside rule would be stupid. Everyone would goal hang and the game just wouldn't be entertaining any more.

[rams71]

go back to the old way.

if you're offside you are offside none of this active/inactive ****** that they've brought in

[MrOrdinary]

go back to the old way.

if you're offside you are offside none of this active/inactive ****** that they've brought in

ive never understood that stuff