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Why Basketball is Better than Soccer - NOW with OFFSIDE Explained

What Would Jesus Do?

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Nov 28, 2010
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In addition to stupidly low scoring, what makes soccer ludicrous to me is the way they settle ties. In nearly every game I've watched, there is much more scoring in much less time during the tie-breaker than during the actual game.

I'm not saying it isn't interesting. It is. In fact, way too often, it's more interesting than the real game. But it's almost like you are watching a different game.

Imagine if we settled basketball ties that way. Instead of going to overtime, we just had teams alternate shooting foul shots until one side had a 2 point lead.

And that would still be better than soccer, because at least FTs are a frequent feature of the regular basketball game.
 
And penalty kicks occur as a frequent feature in soccer matches as they do in decisions in overtime.
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. It's fans and numbers far exceed anything the NFL, MLB or any sporting event in the US can put up.
So rather than disparage a game you do not understand, try to expand your understanding.
 
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I’ll bite.

I watch premiere league every week and find the sport very compelling at the highest levels.

0 league games even go to overtime or penalties. They end in a tie.

The idea that the bottom 3 teams get relegated and moved to a different division, losing millions of dollars, keeps teams from tanking and makes for compelling “fixtures” all the way to the end of the season.

One of the biggest reasons I like watching soccer compared to other sports is because of the commercials and downtime. There’s a 15 minute break at halftime but besides that there’s always game to watch. I feel like if I sit down for an nfl game I’m watching about 30 minutes of action and 3 hours of commercials.

I played all the traditional American ball sports growing up but as a freshman at Unc my roommate got me playing fifa. That helped me learn how the games works and who the players/teams are. I have a group of roommates from college including the initial guy who got me started who keep up with it regularly, watch games together and have an going text message groups regarding out teams.

My team has scored 10 goals in their last 2 games combine and score 3-5 goals with regularity. They constantly produce chances. Club soccer is a lot different that what most Americans are used to seeing in cagey World Cup matches where teams don’t take as many attacking chances.
 
One of the biggest reasons I like watching soccer compared to other sports is because of the commercials and downtime. There’s a 15 minute break at halftime but besides that there’s always game to watch. I feel like if I sit down for an nfl game I’m watching about 30 minutes of action and 3 hours of commercials.
Absolutely one of the best features of soccer. Especially when compared with American football or even baseball.

Less of a feature vs basketball because, even though there are too many commercials, at least when the whistle blows there's a lot of action.
 
I’ll bite.

I watch premiere league every week and find the sport very compelling at the highest levels.

0 league games even go to overtime or penalties. They end in a tie.

The idea that the bottom 3 teams get relegated and moved to a different division, losing millions of dollars, keeps teams from tanking and makes for compelling “fixtures” all the way to the end of the season.

One of the biggest reasons I like watching soccer compared to other sports is because of the commercials and downtime. There’s a 15 minute break at halftime but besides that there’s always game to watch. I feel like if I sit down for an nfl game I’m watching about 30 minutes of action and 3 hours of commercials.

I played all the traditional American ball sports growing up but as a freshman at Unc my roommate got me playing fifa. That helped me learn how the games works and who the players/teams are. I have a group of roommates from college including the initial guy who got me started who keep up with it regularly, watch games together and have an going text message groups regarding out teams.

My team has scored 10 goals in their last 2 games combine and score 3-5 goals with regularity. They constantly produce chances. Club soccer is a lot different that what most Americans are used to seeing in cagey World Cup matches where teams don’t take as many attacking chances.
All of these comments are excellent, and part of the reason I actually like soccer.

But they don't really address the concern in the OP.
 
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. It's fans and numbers far exceed anything the NFL, MLB or any sporting event in the US can put up.
So rather than disparage a game you do not understand, try to expand your understanding.
Fanbase size is not a counterargument to the OP.

I like soccer and understand it reasonably well.

In fact, I like it enough that I'd like to see it tweaked to make it better.
 
In addition to stupidly low scoring, what makes soccer ludicrous to me is the way they settle ties. In nearly every game I've watched, there is much more scoring in much less time during the tie-breaker than during the actual game.

I'm not saying it isn't interesting. It is. In fact, way too often, it's more interesting than the real game. But it's almost like you are watching a different game.

Imagine if we settled basketball ties that way. Instead of going to overtime, we just had teams alternate shooting foul shots until one side had a 2 point lead.

And that would still be better than soccer, because at least FTs are a frequent feature of the regular basketball game.
Glad these aren’t the rules. The Heels wouldn’t do so well depending on free throws. 🤨
 
Soccer, really, if I wanted to enjoy watching grass grow my lawn would look a lot more manicured... Thou the Pele guy, hey, he was cool, he showed some athletic STUFF! Rugby on the other hand, now that is good stuff!
 
I like both kinds of Football! I just prefer watching the American version more! Soccer is fun/action packed when you play it or watch it live but like baseball, it can be a bit of a drag to watch on TV!
 
The only soccer I can tolerate watching is women's soccer. The men spend all their time falling down and pretending to be injured whenever an opponent comes within 6 feet of them. Maybe it's a covid mitigation technique but if so it's a boring one.

The one thing I don't understand about all forms of the sport is the offsides rule. WTF? Why have it at all? Are they that afraid someone will actually score a goal? I would think the sport could do with a few fastbrakes.
 
The only soccer I can tolerate watching is women's soccer. The men spend all their time falling down and pretending to be injured whenever an opponent comes within 6 feet of them. Maybe it's a covid mitigation technique but if so it's a boring one.

The one thing I don't understand about all forms of the sport is the offsides rule. WTF? Why have it at all? Are they that afraid someone will actually score a goal? I would think the sport could do with a few fastbrakes.
What?? Get rid of offsides and actually have games go over 2 goals or not end in a truly amazing 0-0 tie? That's preposterous.
 
The one thing I don't understand about all forms of the sport is the offsides rule. WTF? Why have it at all? Are they that afraid someone will actually score a goal? I would think the sport could do with a few fastbrakes.
Ha!

THE OFFSIDE RULE EXPLAINED

 
I played soccer in college and 8 ears of semi pro ball. The game is more of an art of individuals maneuvering the ball just like hoops to create scoring opportunities just like hoops. The major difference and the low scoring are simple. There a twice as many players on a soccer pitch and the playing field is much bigger, bit common sense, but the biggest difference is soccer has a goal keeper and goal tending is allowed, so shots don't just go in.... If y'all want the games to be comparable and soccer to be more high scoring that in stead of changing the offside rule, maybe make the goal much smaller and eliminate the goal keeper.
 
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In addition to stupidly low scoring, what makes soccer ludicrous to me is the way they settle ties. In nearly every game I've watched, there is much more scoring in much less time during the tie-breaker than during the actual game.

I'm not saying it isn't interesting. It is. In fact, way too often, it's more interesting than the real game. But it's almost like you are watching a different game.

Imagine if we settled basketball ties that way. Instead of going to overtime, we just had teams alternate shooting foul shots until one side had a 2 point lead.

And that would still be better than soccer, because at least FTs are a frequent feature of the regular basketball game.
Perhaps soccer ties should be decided by an impromptu game of Cornhole. It would be about as compelling.
 
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The jersey on the animation even looks like the Brazilians! (wonder if that was intentional!!!)
 
I love the sport- and it's only 'soccer' in a few countries in the world that absolutely and historically suck at it at an international men's level (US and Canada, New Zealand Australia and the exception Ireland). We are so poor at the game that the US mens national team couldn't reliably beat the upper half of 2nd division English clubs. Iceland is better than the US at 'soccer', 3rd world countries in South America, Africa and Asia mop the floor with us and they grow up with nothing. Re: penalty kicks they only settle games in a small % of the time. In regular season play and tournament early rounds the games can end in a draw which clearly doesn't translate to our winner take all mentality. We simply don't have the patience or interest to allow a draw however in American football can see a NFL team have a crap season- even a losing one and run the table and be declared champion. Basketball does the same, baseball too. In football you win the league title because of your effort all season. What's your solution in a game that may have a 3-3 score that's tied at the end of a must win game? You can't play all night... I know Hockey finals do it but they have substitutes and play 60 second shifts.

In simple terms our country doesn't appreciate football / soccer because it isn't a high scoring in your face ordeal. It takes patience to appreciate the build up of an attack, the varied formations, the absolute precision it requires to handle a ball with feet vs hands. One player can rarely win a game like in basketball where a player can score 50+ points and dominate. It is truly a team sport. 3 players can be brought in for 3 that go off for the entire game... No going back in. Out of subs? Too bad. No breathers and back in and no playing for an average of 6 seconds then stopping for 30 seconds like American football with a side line of 50+ players a third who rarely play and divisions of offense and defense who at times get to do nothing for 10-20 minutes at a stretch.
That said, I very much enjoy basketball and college football.
"Soccer" has it's flaws, flopping is being addressed but sucks and any fan knows the floppers and the refs do to. It has diminishef greatly in the English game but is still prevalent in other leagues. Basketball has as much flopping as 'soccer' but no one admits it. It also hurts like a B**** to get hit with a flying cleat anywhere on the un padded body so most couch potatos who see a 'soccer' player fall down assume they are flopping and throw their pork rinds at the TV while they themselves pull muscles after a sneeze much less any physical exertion whatsoever.
They have addressed the flaws of VAR (replay) which only just started being used. They have tweaked it such that the games flow and the ref let's the play continue. Not understanding offsides as a complaint is just lazy. It prevents cherry picking and is really dead simple to understand once you get it. In American football there are alot more questionable fouls and flag. Refs in 'soccer' make mistakes but to call it out as more flawed than refereeing in American football is just dumb.
To each their own, pretty sure JC preached that or some translated / paraphrased and reinterpretted version of it. I get it if you don't like it but what is the point of tearing down a game simply because you don't prefer it? IMO Nascar is laughable to be referred to as a sport and is a ridiculous waste of resources but thats my opinion and I'm not going on a diatribe as to why I don't like it. See how opinions work?
 
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I love the sport- and it's only 'soccer' in a few countries in the world that absolutely and historically suck at it at an international men's level (US and Canada, New Zealand Australia and the exception Ireland). We are so poor at the game that the US mens national team couldn't reliably beat the upper half of 2nd division English clubs. Iceland is better than the US at 'soccer', 3rd world countries in South America, Africa and Asia mop the floor with us and they grow up with nothing. Re: penalty kicks they only settle games in a small % of the time. In regular season play and tournament early rounds the games can end in a draw which clearly doesn't translate to our winner take all mentality. We simply don't have the patience or interest to allow a draw however in American football can see a NFL team have a crap season- even a losing one and run the table and be declared champion. Basketball does the same, baseball too. In football you win the league title because of your effort all season. What's your solution in a game that may have a 3-3 score that's tied at the end of a must win game? You can't play all night... I know Hockey finals do it but they have substitutes and play 60 second shifts.

In simple terms our country doesn't appreciate football / soccer because it isn't a high scoring in your face ordeal. It takes patience to appreciate the build up of an attack, the varied formations, the absolute precision it requires to handle a ball with feet vs hands. One player can rarely win a game like in basketball where a player can score 50+ points and dominate. It is truly a team sport. 3 players can be brought in for 3 that go off for the entire game... No going back in. Out of subs? Too bad. No breathers and back in and no playing for an average of 6 seconds then stopping for 30 seconds like American football with a side line of 50+ players a third who rarely play and divisions of offense and defense who at times get to do nothing for 10-20 minutes at a stretch.
That said, I very much enjoy basketball and college football.
"Soccer" has it's flaws, flopping is being addressed but sucks and any fan knows the floppers and the refs do to. It has diminishef greatly in the English game but is still prevalent in other leagues. Basketball has as much flopping as 'soccer' but no one admits it. It also hurts like a B**** to get hit with a flying cleat anywhere on the un padded body so most couch potatos who see a 'soccer' player fall down assume they are flopping and throw their pork rinds at the TV while they themselves pull muscles after a sneeze much less any physical exertion whatsoever.
They have addressed the flaws of VAR (replay) which only just started being used. They have tweaked it such that the games flow and the ref let's the play continue. Not understanding offsides as a complaint is just lazy. It prevents cherry picking and is really dead simple to understand once you get it. In American football there are alot more questionable fouls and flag. Refs in 'soccer' make mistakes but to call it out as more flawed than refereeing in American football is just dumb.
To each their own, pretty sure JC preached that or some translated / paraphrased and reinterpretted version of it. I get it if you don't like it but what is the point of tearing down a game simply because you don't prefer it? IMO Nascar is laughable to be referred to as a sport and is a ridiculous waste of resources but thats my opinion and I'm not going on a diatribe as to why I don't like it. See how opinions work?
You get bonus points for mentioning nascar and soccer in the same post. Lol
 
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I grew up with basketball and football but it's what was on in the house. In the past 10 years I've been watching alot of Premier League and have found it to be much more to my taste. It makes me feel calm and I enjoy the subtlety of it. Aside from that it's nice to have a sport where the game actually keeps moving with zero capitalist commercial force feedings in the midst of the action. I had forgotten until last night's football game how conditioned we are to being okay with egregious commercial breaks literally every few minutes... commercial breaks which last longer than the game itself.
Debating your difference of opinion on a sport you disagree with or don't prefer when others love it only shows intolerance and ignorance or possibly just that you're really getting so old that you no longer possess the filter in your brain that used to kick in- you know, the one you used to rely on in real life social interactions that likely saved your younger backside from a few bouts of embarrassment or even a deserved thrashing.
Old men lose that filter with their hair and / or the other various things that simply don't work as well or as hard as they used to.
It really doesn't matter what your opinion is about things like this.. You could take the high ground and just let live. You could know your limits and be okay with the fact that soccer simply may move too slow for you and you and you have no interest in it. It's okay.

There are also these fancy buttons on your TV remote or on your Jitterbug phone that allow you to choose what you watch.

No one's forcing you.

Just try harder, kindness and tact are 100% free.
 
i have watched more soccer/football in the last 5 years than in the previous 60. The game can be slow and of course little or no scoring. But baseball is the same way a LOT of times as well. I sort of like watching the PL basically because Rebecca Lowe is kind of cute and their analysts are insightful. My team there is Man City only because of their Unis which are identical to Carolina Blue IMO.

I appreciate the skill and athleticism of the players, and I like the fact that the game starts EXACTLY on time , no commercials, and its basically over and done with in 2 hours, give or take a few minutes. I STILL have no clue about offsides...how it is called and what it means etc It is an interesting sport... I would love to go and see one of those Derbys ...Man U vs Man City etc where the fans are singing and their is genuine sport hate and passion, sort of like Carolina Duke basketball.
 
Debating your difference of opinion on a sport you disagree with or don't prefer when others love it only shows intolerance and ignorance or possibly just that you're really getting so old that you no longer possess the filter in your brain that used to kick in- you know, the one you used to rely on in real life social interactions that likely saved your younger backside from a few bouts of embarrassment or even a deserved thrashing.
Old men lose that filter with their hair and / or the other various things that simply don't work as well or as hard as they used to.
It really doesn't matter what your opinion is about things like this.. You could take the high ground and just let live. You could know your limits and be okay with the fact that soccer simply may move too slow for you and you and you have no interest in it. It's okay.

There are also these fancy buttons on your TV remote or on your Jitterbug phone that allow you to choose what you watch.

No one's forcing you.

Just try harder, kindness and tact are 100% free.
I don't understand comments like this.

I like the sport. I just think it could be improved.

I get it that some people feel attacked whenever anyone suggests a change.
 
I don't understand comments like this.

I like the sport. I just think it could be improved.

I get it that some people feel attacked whenever anyone suggests a change.
It's a perfect example of hypocrisy. Blasting you for being intolerant while displaying complete intolerance for you having your own opinion. Lots of that going on nowadays.
 
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It's a perfect example of hypocrisy. Blasting you for being intolerant while displaying complete intolerance for you having your own opinion. Lots of that going on nowadays.
I have had to learn just to get upset and then laugh, all while smh and not responding. People love to spout out opinions while saying others are wrong.
 
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I'm slowly learning that expecting tolerance from most of this lot is like asking a group of blind men at an old folks home to learn to code in a few hours.
 
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I never said anyone was wrong... My spouted opinion was a response to an opinion... I didn't didnt start the thread complaining about something I don't like. I get tired/ bored of curmudgeons babbling on about things they disagree with when the rest of us have just as many opinions yet are fine keeping them to ourselves.
If you don't want responses to your opinions don't post pointless twaddle. The world has enough negativity, why start more?
Lol you gave your opinion which was fine, but then you posted again as if everyone didn’t hear you the first time. I’m fine with your post, but you literally gripped on what you think are old people and capitalism. Neither have anything to do with someone liking soccer or not liking soccer.
 
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