<b>Women across Britain were plunged into confusion this week over a change in the football offside rule - just as they were close to getting to grips with the old one.</b>

Now furious men are having to put up with a fresh barrage of questions about why the linesman has stuck his flag up.

Sales executive Debbie Downes, 27, from Sudbury, was in despair when she contacted the Suffolk Gazette to complain. She said: "Me and my friends thought we were finally getting close to understanding what the offside rule was all about.

"But then they went and changed the rule again, and now I haven't got a clue what's going on."

<center><div class="getty embed image" style="background-color:#fff;display:inline-block;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#a7a7a7;font-size:11px;width:100%;max-width:445px;"><div style="overflow:hidden;position:relative;height:0;padding:77.609428% 0 0 0;width:100%;"><iframe src="//embed.gettyimages.com/embed/121256377?et=rpR4_6U5TIlInfS_Z1oagA&viewMoreLink=on&sig=4IHKQgCY8oqNJInzePre6Th5gRP8j0MCabnEYTyjN44=" width="445" height="345" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></div><p style="margin:0;"></p><div style="padding:0;margin:0 0 0 10px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/121256377" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;">View image</a> | <a href="http://www.gettyimages.com" target="_blank" style="color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;">gettyimages.com</a></div></div></center><center><i>Why has he stuck his flag up?</center></i><br><br>

Debbie's partner, plasterer Duncan Smith, was infuriated when trying to watch football on the television this week. "She keeps interrupting Gary Neville when the linesman's flag goes up.

"It's like listening to a broken record."

For the start of the new season FIFA introduced a the new rule which stated any player making a play for a ball in an offside position would be flagged offside - even if they didn’t make contact.

It is hoped that women will get their heads around the rule change within four years - when a further update is expected.

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