Is it possible for a female to comprehend the offside law?

[R1Geezer]

http://news.bbc.co.uk.../football/9371642.stm
Given the recent gaff by Andy Gray and co regarding femail lineswomen. Would any of the ladies on here care to explain the offside law?

[youngmafbog]

Well I'm well glad I dont come down your pub.

Must be the hive of excitment.

[jd_1984]

Yes BD, the official term of assistant ref is simple and correct.

[andy-hughes]

youngmaflog - none taken!

jd_1984 - force of habit!

When you are surrounded by a family of fanatics as I am, you tend to fall in with the phrases they use - I actually have no idea if they are 'mighty' or not and (ssshhhh!) I'm not really bothered!

[Davethedog]

I haven't scrolled but I have been going to football for 30 odd years, have a season ticket for a premier club also had a season ticket at a division 1 club.

I think I have a fair knowledge of football and i have to say sometimes the, current, offside rule confuses me.

[andy-hughes]

I think you are not alone there Davethedog - I have heard football fanatics within my office arguing the finer points with a collague who is an ex-League linesman - now a referees' assessor for the FA.

[Davethedog]

The whole active non active thing, interfearing with play thing just doesn't seem consistant. At least the old rule was clear.

[andy-hughes]

Poor-Alfie - my comment about the redoubtable Ms/ Brady visiting the Sky studios for a straightener is based on ms. Brady's documented attitude to sexism in the workplace - specifically -

when she was appointed as MD of Birmingham City FC, on being introduced to the players, one made an reference reference to Ms. Brady;s cleavage, along the lines of "Nice t*ts!"

Ms/ Brady's response was "Well, you won't be able to see them when I transfer you to Crewe at the end of the season will you?"

Not sure if he went to Crewe, but I understand said player was indeed transferred.

[LoftyLottie]

Phew, I am really pleased that noone in our family is remotely interested in football!!

[Poor-Alfie]

I thought you knew knew something I didn't andy. I don't think Andy Gray and Richard Keys will be unduly worried about Karen Brady.

[mollykins]

I understand it, understanding cricket is another thing though!

[Davethedog]

Crickets easy whats not to understand

[joko]

when i was teenager it seemed very few women were interested in football...i didnt know a single one...they didnt know the offside rule, not because it was too complicated to comprehend - as seems to be the general inference here - but because they couldnt care less... because its dull and they didnt want to waste a moment of their lives learning it...

now there are loads of women as fanatical as some men...and i know many of them...

so i think that old adage that women dont understand the offside rule is somewhat out of date and im sure some know it better than men.

[andy-hughes]

If we continue with what I am sure is a light-hearted 'battle of the sexes' - how many men would know how to stop a baby crying?

I know which piece of knowledge I'd rather have!

[craft1948]

and men just look so wrong doing synchronised swimming.

[andy-hughes]

Poor-Alfie - maybe not - but woe betide them if they fetch up at a function where she is speaking!

A fesity erudite businesswoman with a microphone and a captive audience of football people / two dorky sexist mules - what can possibly go wrong...

[naomi24]

Is it possible for a female to comprehend the offside law? I'm amazed that any female would want to.

[eyethenkyew]

The most difficult thing for a referee, male or female, to do is not just understanding the theoretical side of the very complex offside law in football, but correct interpretation and an application of it when a situation arises. The ref and linesmen do not have the luxury of countless replay analysis - they have to rely on split second judgement which, being only human, they sometimes unsurprisingly get wrong.

It's not that surprising that numpties like Andy Gray makes a crass sexist comment given the very few numbers of females involved in the male game.

[andy-hughes]

Absolutely eyethenkyew.

I remember top class referee David Eleray speaking at a function and confirming that referees donot always get it right, but they always try to get it right - which encapsulates their difficult position.

[DonLyn]

I have to confess to not knowing the Offside Law, I have never and will never need to know it. Today I asked several male colleagues to tell me, not one of them knew the answer!!!

[joggerjayne]

Football is a very simple game ...

There are no zonal regulations.

Guys try to create a "mystique" about the game by repeatedly trotting out the one and only detailed rule in the game ... the offside rule zzzzzzzzzzzz

... sorry, I must have nodded off.

Where was I ?

Oh, yes ... happily, for football linesmen, and blokes in pubs, the players on a football pitch move forward relatively slowly, and the offside rule only involves a small number of players at a time.