FIFA ponder scrapping the offside rule

[disgruntled_bear 157]

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.

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

[lewisrfc93 470]

football would be shit without offside but just think how many more goals there would be in a game and boyd would score 50 a season

[Scott-RFC 308]

Fuck that

[TexasGers 96]

Interesting concept, I don't think FIFA will sanction a change though- they don't need to fix what isn't broken.

[lewisrfc93 470]

Interesting concept, I don't think FIFA will sanction a change though- they don't need to fix what isn't broken.

[Lando 249]

We still need the offside rule because of Keane.

Anyway, I agree with what TG just said.

[disgruntled_bear 157]

Have to say I'm not a fan of this idea at all, the only change football needs is video evidence being used during games.

[chris_glasgow 2]

Sepp Blatter

[bluenose_72 198]

Another stupid idea from Blatter.

[Tumshie 205]

Don't know about scrapping it but we need to get rid of these phase one, phase two pish they brought in a few years ago. Your'e either offside or your not simple as that!!

[foxtrot 0]

Why don't FIFA ponder scrapping Sepp Blatter instead?

[simon 1,758]

Why can't they just leave things alone? They must be really bored at FIFA.

[ClintonGrey 365]

The offside rule is and always should be an integral part of football.

Plus, how can we laugh at women who don't understand it if it doesn't exist?

[Zappa 358]

They should scrap all the rules, make it a full contact sport, scrap the seats in stadiums and allow the fans to have battles on the terraces again.

[Zappa 358]

[DinViesel 399]

How long till Blatter fucks off back to obscurity. The man is an idiot.

[rangers4eva 12]

[WilliamFyfe 1,438]

Cause Keane cani keep onside thats why!

[docspiderman 1,260]

It would be simpler to make the offside rule as it was for decades before it was changed a few years ago and if a player is in an offside position then he is offside.Maybe then the assistant referees would manage to interpret the rule.

[Boab 73]

Have to say I'm not a fan of this idea at all, the only change football needs is video evidence being used during games.

Just goal-line technology for me.

[Muff 245]

I don't know why anyone would even think about the idea - a fcuking ridiculous one.

[Ferdasyn 431]

let's scrap cards as well while we're at it

[JimmyRFC 4]

that would ruin football. what a horrible idea.

[NeilRFC 10]

Fucking mental idea.

[Davey_RFC 122]

Just like primary school football