# Would basketball "work" with soccer offside rules? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 22, 2016, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544 "2016-07-22T00:18:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/41 "2016-07-26T09:25:14Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > I still don’t see why soccer couldn’t have a rule like hockey and the blue line instead of this floating line system. The half-way line is the equivalent of the blue line ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/42 "2016-07-26T10:57:58Z")
[Netball is](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaqfGjr9sLU)basically basketball minus the dribbling and backboards but with strict positional offside rules. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/43 "2016-07-26T13:02:28Z")
The old North American Soccer League had a static offside line 35 yards from goal for a couple seasons. FIFA requested they stop. I think it was controversial, but I think that’s more because it went against the idea that all leagues should have the same rules rather than it being a bad idea in general. That was before my time though and I don’t really know how well it worked in practice. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/44 "2016-07-26T13:18:22Z")
Here is what happens when there is no [offside in soccer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReK1waJFhLI). The soccer pitch is huge. Imagine a game where the sides trade one on ones. Boring ass matches. Now compare the indoor version of soccer, [Futsal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futsal#Lack_of_offside_rule), which is five aside and played on basketball courts. No offside and it makes sense, a team has a chance to stop an attacker. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/45 "2016-07-26T13:50:25Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > No, the reason cherry-picking doesn’t work in basketball is because it has only five players and you need all five players to effectively defend the five attackers. If a team has a player just hang out under the other team’s basket, they’re letting the other team’s offense play five-on-four and giving up huge numbers of free points to them. In fact, they’d give up far more points due to being one defender short than they’d gain from the times they could pass to the cherry picker after a turnover. > In soccer, in contrast, there are far more people, and ten (or nine, if you don’t count the keeper) players can easily defend eleven (or ten) attackers without giving up much, while gaining a huge advantage from passing to the cherry picker [after all, that’s what teams do now, they just have to keep their cherry picker(s) at midfield]. > > In other words, the offside rule fixes a problem that basketball doesn’t have. I agree. Without cherry-picking being an issue, all an offsides rule would accomplish would be to force the game into alternating half-court games even more than it already is. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/46 "2016-07-26T16:03:49Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > The half-way line is the equivalent of the blue line I’m not sure what you mean by this, but offsides in soccer is fundamentally different than hockey. In hockey, no offensive player can cross the blue line before the puck. The position of the defensive players is immaterial. Once the puck is across the line, the offensive players can rush the net ahead of the defense, and it isn’t offsides. If the puck goes back across the blue line out of the zone, all offensive players must clear the zone even if the defense remains near the net. I think changing the soccer offsides rule to something like this could _potentially_ work. It eliminates cherry picking but allows the opportunity for fast breaks and spreads out the field a little more once the ball crosses whatever line is designated as the “blue line” (either the halfway line or something a little closer to the goal). On the other hand, if teams reacted by always stationing a few defenders near the goal once the ball was in the zone, maybe fast breaks would be reduced. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/47 "2016-07-26T19:25:11Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > I’m not sure what you mean by this, but offsides in soccer is fundamentally different than hockey. In hockey, no offensive player can cross the blue line before the puck. My point was that, whatever the nature of the offside rule, the halfway line in football marks the start of it, the blue line performs the same function in ice hockey. I wouldn’t be averse to trying other options for the offside rule but many of the options already mentioned have been tried and found wanting. Perhaps the ice hockey rule is worth a go, or maybe no offside calls when the ball is played within the 18-yard box? ---
**Author:** ![KellyCriterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@KellyCriterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyCriterion)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/48 "2016-07-27T06:12:58Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Here is what happens when there is no [offside in soccer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReK1waJFhLI). The soccer pitch is huge. Imagine a game where the sides trade one on ones. Boring ass matches. You sure it would be boring? In your linked video, everyone seems to be in raptures. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/49 "2016-07-27T06:22:47Z")
> [@KellyCriterion](#): > > You sure it would be boring? In your linked video, everyone seems to be in raptures. As it was a rare occurrence, a striker running one on one, Pep’s Barca losing, and Torres scoring when he was at Chelsea (:D). Now imagine a whole game of nothing but this. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/50 "2016-07-27T06:39:15Z")
ETA: Double Post ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/51 "2016-07-27T07:56:52Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > As it was a rare occurrence, a striker running one on one, Pep’s Barca losing, and Torres scoring when he was at Chelsea (:D). Now imagine a whole game of nothing but this. So they kick the ball to one end of the field and one side scores. Then they kick the ball to the other end of the field and the other side scores. And back and forth. Kinda like basketball in that regard. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2016, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/52 "2016-07-27T08:33:45Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Here is what happens when there is no [offside in soccer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReK1waJFhLI). The soccer pitch is huge. Imagine a game where the sides trade one on ones. Boring ass matches. I’m confused. There was no offside rule in that game? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/53 "2016-07-28T03:30:43Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I’m confused. There was no offside rule in that game? Torres got the ball in his own half, so there was no offside on that play. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2016, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/54 "2016-07-28T04:05:39Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > As it was a rare occurrence, a striker running one on one, Pep’s Barca losing, and Torres scoring when he was at Chelsea (:D). Now imagine a whole game of nothing but this. But as others have pointed out, if offsides were abolished, this sort of goal would \*not \*happen frequently, because teams would station a defender or two near the goalkeeper at all times. ---
**Author:** ![KellyCriterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@KellyCriterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KellyCriterion)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/55 "2016-08-03T03:12:29Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > But as others have pointed out, if offsides were abolished, this sort of goal would \*not \*happen frequently, because teams would station a defender or two near the goalkeeper at all times. This. For as long as no one can articulate a clear and consistent explanation as to why the offside rule exists, I will continue to shrug and ‘not get it’. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/56 "2016-08-03T06:35:18Z")
> [@DKW](#): > > Ever notice that whenever someone blasts the ball downfield, 9 times out of it 10 it just comes right back? And thank Og for that. What are you doing blindly booting the ball down the field anyway? If you’re unimaginative and/or unskilled enough to try a weak-ass stunt like that you deserve to have the ball go right over to the other team. You rarely see that kind of crap anywhere outside of the United States. [QUOTE=DKW] the sport would be much better served by drawing a line…y’know, like hockey’s done for its entire existence [/QUOTE] It does draw a line. It’s just that the line constantly moves relative to the position of the second-last defender. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/57 "2016-08-03T12:14:36Z")
No, basketball wouldn’t work with soccer offside rules. Soccer doesn’t work with those rules, don’t expect them to help basketball. Now clearly the fans of soccer hate scoring, or anything interesting happening in a game, so they’re not going to give up on the rule. In that same way basketball fans love scoring and action so they won’t change either. Nobody wants to see a basketball game with a lucky basket early in the game and an hour later the game ends 2-0. That may be a blowout in soccer but it’s no going to work in bball. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/58 "2016-08-03T16:45:17Z")
> [@KellyCriterion](#): > > This. > > For as long as no one can articulate a clear and consistent explanation as to why the offside rule exists, I will continue to shrug and ‘not get it’. Well, continue to shrug and don’t get it. You obviously don’t have any understanding of the game. Offside was written into the Laws in 1863, when the Laws of Association Football (hereafter referred to as ‘soccer’) were unified. Until 1925, the law was that there had to be three players between the attacker and the goal line (if in the opponents half), but was in that year reduced to two, allowing average strikers like Dixie Dean and George Camsell to rack up 60 and 59 goals respectively in the first and second divisions. A few years back, a ‘no offside from free kicks’ was trialled for a season in one of the non-league divisions and ended up with 20 players in the six yard box every time a free kick was awarded. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/59 "2016-08-03T16:48:13Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > Im one of those who thinks the offside rule in soccer is a silly rule with roots going back to a different game in the 19th century. > > I get you need rules to protect the goaltender, but if a manager is stupid enough to put 10 players in the box on a play, and allow the goaltender to boot it to them hoping for a pooch goal, surely this strategy will fail when one of the 10 defenders steals the ball and runs it down the field to score a one on one goal. > > As a result, after a few 11-10 defeats, the stupid manager will discover that more evenly spreading out his players on the pitch will be a sounder strategy, as well as the other manager. > > I get theres a fear both teams will plant 2 or 3 strikers in the penalty area and keep punting the ball to them for an easy goal, but why not let the economics of pitch management work that out over time? > > I cant STAND when a great goal has to be called back because the linesman raises his flag. This is soccer, not the NFL! > > As for the whole “cherrypicking” argument, so what? If that is what pure soccer is supposed to be, let the game evolve! I really can’t tell if that’s satirical or you really are that ignorant. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544/60 "2016-08-03T17:23:03Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > …Soccer doesn’t work with those rules… It does. The most popular sport on the planet. > [@](#): > > Now clearly the fans of soccer hate scoring, or anything interesting happening in a game, so they’re not going to give up on the rule. Of course we do. We hate it when our team scores, we hate it when anything interesting happens. That’s why it’s the most watched sport in the world. > [@](#): > > In that same way basketball fans love scoring and action so they won’t change either. Nobody wants to see a basketball game with a lucky basket early in the game and an hour later the game ends 2-0. That may be a blowout in soccer but it’s no going to work in bball. Each to their own. Carry on watching freakishly tall people do what they do if that floats your boat. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-basketball-work-with-soccer-offside-rules/760544.md?page=4)