Having been lucky enough to watch 3 matches in as many days around the August Bank Holiday weekend, an interesting point arose in my mind over the use of the offside law in junior football.

A highly contested Welsh Premiership game produced a maximum of eight offside decisions and an Under 16s boys international a maximum of six offsides, whereas a local youth match produced at least twelve offside decisions.

There does not seem a lot of point in coaching junior teams in the offside trap at the half way line geared to club linesmen operating on the old rule (eg ignoring inactive players) when higher grades of football require a more sophisticated approach.

Opposition coaches and alert players will soon get around these defensive tactics, but to avoid the constant breakdown in play, and the inevitable long ball forward (did this used to be called “kick and rush” ? ) a rule modification for junior football could be brought in.

This would mean an extension of the edge of the penalty area out to the touchline and the offside law only applying in an area eighteen yards from the goal-line.   This would mean that passing could always take place in the midfield area of the pitch, but still allow defenders to compress the play around the edge of their own penalty area.

This would simplify the job of club linesmen who would only have to stand in one position, and not run up and down the touchline, often acting as an extra “defender”.

Author: B. Steer

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Filed under: Football Coaching Views

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