Offside "beyond the capacity of the human eye"

So you think you're an amateur because you have trouble with soccer's offside rule? Don't feel bad.

The sport's offside rule is too complex for the human brain and eye to process accurately, according to new research which should give comfort to referees and linesmen who come under fire from armchair critics.

The study, published in the next edition of the British Medical Journal (BMJ), found that only TV cameras and stop-motion pictures can do the referee's job properly.

Author Francisco Belda Maruenda, a Spanish doctor, says that in order to apply the offside rule correctly, the ref has to keep at least five objects in his visual field simultaneously: the ball, the last two players of the defending team and two players of the attacking team (the player closest to the goal and the player who passes him the ball).

He says that "is beyond the capacity of the human eye" unless all five objects are closely congregated in a narrow angle of view.

Odd phrasing from the article, since most offside calls are signaled by the linesmen in professional soccer, not the referee.