# Explain to me why there is an "offsides" rule in hockey and soccer **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 14, 2009, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-to-me-why-there-is-an-offsides-rule-in-hockey-and-soccer/506460 "2009-08-14T22:27:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-to-me-why-there-is-an-offsides-rule-in-hockey-and-soccer/506460/61 "2009-08-20T16:41:40Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Hell- just look at cricket. You can score 1,000+ runs in a test match and yet the sport has always been and will always be indescribably boring. Obviously, I disagree as to the “boring” part, though it _can_ be, but it does emphasise that interest isn’t necessarily tied to scoring. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-to-me-why-there-is-an-offsides-rule-in-hockey-and-soccer/506460/62 "2009-08-20T20:19:49Z")
I tend to agree that more scores would make top-level soccer a better game to watch (watching a team defend a two-goal lead with one attacker isn’t very interesting), and would love a simple rule change that kept the basics of the game the same while increasing scoring, but have been convinced that eliminating offside isn’t a magic bullet. Remember, defenses would also change if the rule was eliminated. So eliminating offside would actually result in fewer breakaways, because the last couple defenders would just never leave the penalty area, making it impossible to get behind them. I suppose it might open a little bit of room above the penalty area, as one or two defenders would get sucked towards the end line to defend against goal-campers, but at the expense of exhausting the midfielders who would be moving from penalty area to penalty area on every change of possession. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-to-me-why-there-is-an-offsides-rule-in-hockey-and-soccer/506460/63 "2009-08-21T04:02:22Z")
> [@chique](#): > > Can you imagine what real football would be like if they awarded an extra goal for every 5 missed shots on goal? Oy. That’d be Australian rules, except it’s six misses equals a goal ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-to-me-why-there-is-an-offsides-rule-in-hockey-and-soccer/506460/64 "2009-08-21T13:42:02Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Obviously, I disagree as to the “boring” part, though it _can_ be, but it does emphasise that interest isn’t necessarily tied to scoring. 🙂 Well, you’re wrong to disagree ;). I have a H&W Under-13 County Cup winner’s medal tucked away somewhere and I _cannot stand_ cricket. I can watch a one-day match if I’m in a patient mood. ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-to-me-why-there-is-an-offsides-rule-in-hockey-and-soccer/506460/65 "2009-08-21T19:24:35Z")
> [@cugel](#): > > that’d be australian rules, except it’s six misses equals a goal WHY do you have SUCH A STUPID RULE?!?!?!?! 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-to-me-why-there-is-an-offsides-rule-in-hockey-and-soccer/506460.md?page=3)