The voices that demand that this changes, are growing exponentially and it is a matter of time before a resolution of the issue is demanded. Such a decision is also of interest to the best betting brands as it will change the parameters they use to determine the prices they offer.
The issue with the current offside rules
As it stands, a player is ruled as offside when:
- They do not have 2 opposing players closer to the goalposts than them
- They are not behind the ball
- They have not received the ball even at an offside position from a deliberate touch from on opposing player.
- They did not begin their attack behind the center line of the field.
Basically, those four are the rules that refer to 99% of the cases where a goal is disallowed.
Before the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee, the determination was the sole responsibility of the referee assistants, or the officials themselves, and it was done by eye. Typically, the linesmen were trained on where to stand to make the correct call. However, there have been many errors and this was the reason that demanded the removal of the task from the humans and its assignment to technology. Still, this led to a different set of problems as goals were disallowed for mere millimeters.
The current suggestions
There have been many voices who claimed that this was not the intention of the rule. Since, the ultimate essence of the sport is to see the ball at the bottom of the net, and FIFA has expressed the desire to see more goals scored, their opinion is that the offside regulation should change and adjust to the speed that the game is now played. Basically, there are two suggestions on the table:
1) Allow the goal if any part of the scorer is covered by an opponent, instead of 100% of the body. The opposition maintains that this is more or less the same as the current rule, since it will lead to goals allowed for half a shoe or an elbow. Ostensibly, the compromise here is to set the central axis of a body as the determining factor. If a line that runs through the middle of the bodies shows that the attacker is in front then they should be ruled as offsides.
2) Assumingly, the intension of the rule was to allow for the defenders to have an equal chance of reaction in order to stop the attacking player. Hence, the second proposal says that the determining aspect for an offside should be the answer to the question whether the defending team has a chance to react and save a goal.
Under this notion, there’s a further suggestion to draw another line on the field splitting the two areas in half (much like the lines of a Subbuteo playing pitch). The thought is that with the current physical conditioning of the footballers, they have ample time to react if the ball is played around the central line. Therefore, any player that begins his run behind the new lines, should not be considered in an offside position.
According to the supporters of the suggestion, this sort of a change should also disallow goals where the «covering» defender is on the other side of the pitch and therefore does not have the equal chance that the intension of the rule wants.
New offside rules would require new technology
It took many years of research and development for the VAR technology to be implemented in real time. Unfortunately, instead of enforcing fairness, as it was the initial intention, it sparked even more controversies. Admittedly, both aforementioned proposals, could provide a solution to said controversies. However, especially the second proposal, cannot be assessed by machines. Therefore, both suggestions require modifications in the algorithms that created the video assistant referee. In fact, if the second option gains favor, then it may very well be that we will see an implementation of AI to serve as the judge of the infractions. And this idea doesn’t sit well with a lot of people.
Regardless of the outcome of the debate, there is only one certainty. Any change in the rules that determine an offside position, will have an effect on the outcomes of any and all matches. Hence, an endless number of new opportunities for those who choose to access multiple bookmakers through one account.
