The Premier League Thread

VAR again, killing the game week by week.

 

I also thought the cross was a square pass and not forward, but might be mistaken.
But that aside, how can someone be offside after 2 opponents have played the ball.

 

Pass doesn't have to go forwards for someone to be offside.

 

Clear pen

 

Newcastle deserve that

 

Great pen.

 

When did that change come in?

 

It has never been in the rules, certainly since I've been following football.

 

You taking the piss?

 

I was brought up on the ball had to be passed forward.
You’re right, nobody knows the offside rule anymore, especially as the defenders played the ball.

 

The best example is a short corner. The ball goes backwards but if there are no defenders on the line (or one if the keeper is off it) then the corner taker can't get involved as he would be offside.

 

But the ball still has to go forward?

 

No. That's a myth.

 

So you're telling me you can be offside from a backwards pass? I get the moving in to an offside position side of it but surely the ball still needs to move forward?

 

It doesn't need to. 99% of the time the ball does go forward but very occasionally you get a scenario where the ball doesn't.

 

I have looked in vain for the wording that clarifies this, it is clouded by the old adage that you can't be off side at a corner because the ball can't go forward. There is nothing in the rule book that says so as far as I can tell?

 

So after all these years backwards passes could have been offside?

 

Not directly from a corner. But if it's taken short and there's less than 2 defenders on the line the corner taker is in an offside position so cannot receive the ball from the player he took the corner to regardless of whether the ball goes forwards or backwards.

 

That's fair enough, because I guess after the initial kick, there is a separate phase of play?

 

Yep.