Worth every penny... new 50p coin explains offside rule!

Trying to explain the offside rule to beginners of the game can be, at times, as difficult (and frustrating) as attempting to conquer a Rubik's cube.

Whether it's to a loved one or to a young child, sometimes it seems to be an impossible job.

Worth every penny: The London 2012 50p piece explains the offside rule

But the tedious task is no more thanks to the Royal Mint, who have produced a new 50p coin to commemorate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The genius design - inspired by production journalist Neil Wolfson - is available as part of a collection of 29 new coins this year which features each sport of the games.

'Neil Wolfson designed his coin in the hope that it would encapsulate football in a simple image,' the Royal Mint coinmakers website explains.

He's miles off, ref: Marcus Tudgay was denied a goal for Nott'm Forest against Reading earlier this season while an assistant referee waves his flag (below)

'As the offside rule is a perennial talking point, the image is designed to provoke discussion, which was what he was aiming for.'

The piece is in circulation but can be purchased separately in a limited edition presentation package on the Royal Mint website for £2.99.

Speaking about why he entered the competition to design the coin, Mr Wolfson said: 'I am a football fan. I've followed the Premier League since its inception and if I had 50p for every time someone asked me what the offside rule was then I would be a very rich man.'

Limited edition: The commemorative 50p piece can be purchased as part of a special collectors pack from the Royal Mint

He said that designing the coin was an 'organic process' in which the most difficult part was getting the proportions right.

Mr Wolfson added that he hoped people like the coin, saying: 'I hope it starts conversations and people are able to [use it] to describe what the offside rule is.'