Thaindian News

London, Jan 4 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Football is a major culture in the United Kingdom. You just need to look at the new 50p Olympic coin to know how far the country takes the soccer game. The coin tries to explain one of the most controversial rules in football – offside.

Since its introduction, the offside rule has brought several moments of controversy into the game. Though it sounds simple, the offside rule remains the most difficult rule for soccer fans to grasp. The controversy stems from when a player is considered offside.

According to the revised rules of the game, the referees will have to apply the offside rule at the time that the ball was kicked and not when the player got the ball. Because most fans only follow the ball, they often miss where the attacking player was when the ball, especially long balls, was played. There are some exceptions though. For instance when a match is restarted with a throw-in, an attacking player who first received the ball cannot be offside no matter where he stands at that time.

In a bid to get soccer fans, especially the younger ones, informed, the organizers of the 2012 London Games have placed the interpretation of the offside rule at the back of the keepsake coins.