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Soccer: Offsides tidbit. If you are a soccer parent, you have probably seen a kid offsides and the ref didn’t' call it. Here is why. Soccer refs (like me; professionally at amateur youth level for a few years) specifically have a discretionary view of the game. It is called "The advantage clause." You don't call certain things if they don't affect the team that is being, technically hurt, by the infringement. If a kid is hanging out offsides and not making any moves, the ref should not call it. If that player does finally do something to take advantage of the situation, the ref then calls offsides. And then parents say, "why didn't he call it sooner?" Because it didn’t' matter then. As a matter of fact, the team that gained by the call, probably gained even more because the other team got so complacent about leaving that player there all the time. It causes confusion. It is one of the reasons why soccer refs don't talk to fans or coaches. Keep the game moving fast and ignore everybody except the players and the ball.

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