Offside (sport)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Offside is a concept used by several different team sports, particularly field sports.
Typically it is a rule preventing players from getting an unfair attacking advantage.
The application of the rule is usually to regulate aspects of player positioning. Its application and enforcement can be complicated and can sometimes be confusing for new players.
[edit] History
Offside rules date back to codes of football developed at English public schools in the early nineteenth century. These offside rules were often much stricter than that in modern games. In some of them, a player was "off his side" if he was standing in front of the ball. This was similar to the current offside law in rugby, which penalises any player between the ball and the opponent's goal. By contrast, the original Sheffield Rules had no offside rule, and players known as "kick throughs" were positioned permanently near the opponents' goal.
[edit] Offside in different sports
- Offside (football)
- Offside (American and Canadian football)
- Offside (rugby)
- Offside (ice hockey)
- Offside (field hockey)
