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An Honest question from a non fan

I'll be the first to admit that I didn't watch a lot of the early rounds of the World Cup. I've mentioned before that I am just not that big of a soccer fan. It's not that soccer wasn't a thing when I was growing up. A couple of my really close friends played, and the town I lived in has a huge complex out by the expressway. I think pretty much every day in the summer they are holding tournaments there or having practices. It's a huge thing in this area.

My nieces play as you can see from the photo above, and even my nephews did to some degree at one point or another.

It's not even that I hate the game, I just don't understand it. I think it would be pretty short sighted of me to just say I hate the game and totally write it off. I think a lot of Americans actually do that. I've always said though, there has to be something to a game that is revered so well around the world.

I also think there is something to be said for a game whose fans are so passionate that they have the propensity to riot when something good or bad happens with their team. That takes some dedication right there.

As the rounds have progressed through the World Cup, I have found myself watching more and more. Now that we are on the cusp of the finale, I find myself watching even more games. In fact, I was watching the game between France and Spain just yesterday and I found myself totally confounded by something that happened in the game.

Spain was up 2 to 0 and there was a point in the game, maybe around the 60 minute mark where Spain seemingly scored a goal, but then they called it back because of off sides.

Off sides is the one part of the game that is totally foreign to me. I just don't get it. For the longest time I would argue that it's just some random thing the officials call because they lose track of what is happening in the game and they need to reset. Clearly, that's not the case, but there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to it for me.

So here is my honest question.

Can someone explain to me using illustrations or video captures why that goal third goal didn't count in the game yesterday?

I'd love to learn, but I am a visual learner, so just telling me why isn't going to cut it.

This is your mission soccer faithful. Give me your best effort to make me understand and possibly convert me over to the dark side of being a fan. I'm still going to call it soccer though...

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Comments · 3

@talesfrmthecrypt(71)· 42d
Ah the offside rule! Traditionally explained using salt and pepper shakers on the kitchen table!

Essentially, when the ball is passed forward by the attacking team, the attackers (specifically those looking to run onto that pass) must have 2 of the opposition players between them and the goal they are attacking. In almost every scenario, 1 of those 2 players will be the goal keeper so essentially what the offside rule prevents is attacking players standing beyond the defenders at the time the ball is passed. As soon as the ball is passed they are free to make their run beyond the defenders so the skill element is timing the pass and the run to perfection so that by the time the ball arrives at the attackers feet they are beyond the last defender but ‘onside’.

I will screenshot the Spain goal when I get back home to put that into context but essentially Lamal moved fractionally too early and was beyond the last defender when the pass forward to him occurred making him ‘offside’ and resulting in a free kick rather than a goal
@sportsblock(65)· 43d
!medals

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@suzn.poudel(70)· 43d
Football is a game of tactics, sequence, agility, I understand most of the games are but. If offside doesn’t exist, athletes like Usain bolt could be the greatest footballer of all time. I like to see other response in different ways …