John Cleese Explains Offside in Soccer

Comments

[Dave]

I once had a futbol referee explain the part about not being involved in the play. He told me that if I found myself in an offsides position but the ball was not coming to me, that I could sit down, thereby removing myself from the play.

I had a chance to try it a few games later. It didn't work. I got called offsides anyway.

The best example of being uninvolved in the play is on a corner kick. If the person taking the corner kick takes it short, and the receiver hits a cross toward goal, the corner kicker is not considered off sides since he is no threat to the goal.

But, yes it is a complicated rule.