I know that it's saying a lot to claim that I've now seen the absolute dumbest idea ever with regard to how to change the game. Congratulations to the New York Post's Extra Time blog, who wants to change the offside rule so you can be two yards past the last defender before you're off.
Seriously. He wants assistant referees to be able to judge two yards from 30 or 40 yards away, and head referees to be able to judge two yards at an angle. This is categorically dumber than playing in Chicago in January in an effort to conform to the FIFA calendar. This is categorically dumber than promotion and relegation in the United States when we can barely support a dozen teams at the highest level in the first place.
Off course, I'm old-fashioned when it comes to offside. I still hate the passive offside non-call, especially when it costs my team a goal like it did Sunday for the Fire. The only way you might tweak the offside rule to make the game more conducive to that holy grail of "attacking soccer" would be to change the point where a player can be offside from midfield to the top of the 18-yard box. And even then, only if you extend the field markings to the sidelines. And even then further, it still might not work.
You're too young to remember, but the NASL used to have the 35-yard offside line (twice as far out as your example) and I don't recall it really making a big difference.
And we're all too young to remember, but back in the primordial soup days, there had to be THREE defenders between you and the goal when the ball was passed to you, else you were offside.
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