There are quite a few rules in the world of sport which often require a deep understanding and are a riddle to someone who’s not a regular sports follower. How often have you not been able to understand what the Duckworth/Lewis is, or what exactly is ‘offside’. We bring you some sports rules which will help you understand the sport(s) better, and make for a better viewing experience.

Misunderstood Sports Rules

1. Offside, Football:

‘He was clearly offside, how could that goal be allowed. What is the linesman doing!’

You must heard have this at least once if you have watched football. At times, you must have wondered why a goal was not allowed when the player received a perfect pass and put the ball in, and then you are told that the player was in an ‘offside’ position.

A player is in an offside position when he or she is in the opponents’ half of the pitch and closer to the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-to-last opponent (usually the last defensive player in front of the goalkeeper). Being in an offside position is not an offense in itself, a player must also be “actively involved in the play” in the opinion of the referee. When the offside offense occurs, the referee stops play and awards an indirect free kick to the defending team from the position of the offending player.