sub-question: is there anything more obnoxious that the ever-present cliche during these times, "no one understands the offsides rule"?

I'm willing to concede a shockingly high % of futbol fans don't understand the need for two people to be between ball and goal* (b/c it really only applies when a player is 1v1 with the goalie or on really odd goalmouth scrambles), but the "can't be heind the last man" thing is NOT HARD, AMERICA!


*aside -- I took a soccer PE class in high school once and this was emphasized and a paper test was given where I got it all wrong, thinking I understood offsides, but rest assured in all the manic obsessive soccer watching since then, I've sorted it all out, can spot it live easy. Shoot, I just passed Zach Loyd on the sidewalk today and recognized him, and he's an infrequent starter for the visiting team, something has definitely gone wrong.