Penalty kicks aside, soccer's offside rule may produce more frustration for fans and players alike than all the other rules combined. But its purpose is simple, and taking a few moments to understand it may do more to reduce a soccer fan's blood pressure than anything short of bypass surgery.

Of course, understanding won't change a single call on the field. But before screaming at the referee, it might help to understand what all the fuss is really about.

The Purpose of the Offside RulePerception of Coaches, Fans, and Players: The Main Purpose of the Offside Rule is to give the officials an excuse to take away any goal our team scores.

A Secondary Purpose of the rule is to let the officials give the other team a breakaway, and let them score whenever they pass the ball behind our defenders.

Reality Check:Officials do not like to disallow goals. They realize how hard each team works for any goal it scores, and will only disallow a goa... [more]

With millions of people on the planet going crazy watching a soccer match being played in some part of the world, there is absolutely no room to question its popularity. If Super Bowl is considered to be the most popular sporting event in the United States, Soccer World Cup final enjoys the same fame at the International level. At the same time, however, we can't deny the fact that ignorance about this sport prevails to a significant extent. Numerous interesting facts about soccer continue to elude millions of people going crazy over this sport even today, and origin of soccer is just one of these facts.

Origin of Soccer Game

The simple sport that soccer is, it becomes very difficult to find out who invented soccer or when people actually began to play it. Some sources trace the history of soccer to Ancient Greece and Medieval England, while others suggest that a similar sport, referred to as the Cuju, was played in China, Kore and Japan way back in 2,500 BCE.... [more]

All soccer coaches have days when we think we just can't coach another day. But there is hope in sight. Step back from the situation, count to ten, and then start again.

One of the most important things to remember when coaching children in soccer is to set the rules, guidelines and consequences on day one. As with any game or sport there are rules and regulations to be followed. So if this is your first year as a soccer coach or even if you have some experience under your belt, here are some basic guidelines to ensure your success and that of your team.

1. Set the rules right away. All of us learn how to play a game at an early age. The only way to play is to learn the rules and know what to expect if you don't follow the rules. Children especially need borders. It makes their life simpler and thus makes your life less complicated. You might ask why you should make rules; they are here to play soccer not go to school. But believe me you need to have rules. It... [more]