FIFA president Sepp Blatter has apparently discussed the effect of scrapping the offside rule with president of the International Hockey Federation, Leandro Negre.

Hockey scrapped the offside rule in their game in 1998, and the move is generally perceived as having made the game more entertaining for spectators.

There has been speculation that FIFA could soon be planning some kind of similar rule change in football.

Negre revealed that Blatter had spoken to him informally but at length about the impact of the rule change in the sport, but did not give him a conclusive final opinion on the matter.

"He asked me a lot of questions about it and how successful it was, although he never offered an opinion, so it was difficult to judge what football might do," said Negre, according to Sky Sports.

"But he did seem very interested in how we had implemented it."

http://goal.com/en/news/745/fifa/2010/03/02/1814268/sepp-blatter-consults-hockey-official-as-fifa-ponder-changes

Some quotes

The offside rule should be similar to hockey, where it is null once the ball crosses an imaginary line, probably about 30 or 35 m out. That means no more goal mouth scrambles being called offside, you actually have to stop the other team, not hope that their striker was offside when he bagged the rebound! It would mean no cherry picking, as the ball must first make it to designated 'offside free zone'. Technology ain't gonna help on this one, lets make the change!

PLEASE FIFA I BEG OF YOU!!! I have yearned for this rule change for some 8 years! I understand people are attached to tradition, but what football needs is for players to play the man, or play the ball, not to play the offside trap. Once you know there is no offside call to bail you out, believe me, defenders will be a lot more careful with their man-marking.

good move,hope it happens

This is the most ridiculous piece of news i've ever heard. . .
Scrap the offside rule? He he!
Why dont they scrap handball as well?

~Borat~:

This is the most ridiculous piece of news i've ever heard. . .
Scrap the offside rule? He he!
Why dont they scrap handball as well?

scrapping it will make soccer more entertaining,free-flowing and goal-oriented?