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.'

It is just one of 29 designs celebrating Olympic and Paralympic sports including swimming, boxing, gymnastics, boccia and goalball.

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Loads of money: The 50 pence pieces are the first British coins ever to be designed by members of the public

A panel of independent experts and representatives from Royal Mint, London 2012 and the International Olympic Committee picked the winning designs from nearly 30,000 entries.

It is the first time in the Royal Mint's 1,100-year history that members of the public have designed a series of coins for nationwide circulation.

The London 2012 coins will also be the Royal Mint's biggest joint release of designs on coins for general use.

Since its introduction 41 years ago when decimalisation was established, only 16 designs have featured on the nation's 50p.

The coins in the above photo are as follows:

(Top row left - right)

• Equestrian coin designed by Thomas Babbage fromShipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire
• Weightlifting coindesigned by Rob Shakespeare from Manchester
• Boccia coindesigned by Justin Chung from Manchester
• Archery coindesigned by Piotr Powaga from Pocklington, East Yorkshire
• Tae Kwondocoin designed by David Gibbons from Matlock, Derbyshire
• Shooting coin designed by Pravin Dewdhory from East London

(2nd row left-right)

• Fencing coin designed by Ruth Summerfield fromStoke-on-Trent
• Basketball coin designed by Sarah Paynefrom Cardiff
• Cycling coin designed by Theo Crutchley-Mackfrom Pembrokeshire
• Table tennis coin designed by AlanLinsdell from Manchester
• Hockey coin designed by RobertEvans from Vale of Glamorgan near Cardiff
• Handball coindesigned by Natasha Ratcliffe from Falmouth, Cornwall.

(3rd row left - right)

• Aquatics coin designed by Jonathan Olliffe from Witney,Oxfordshire
• Wrestling coin designed by Roderick Enriquezfrom South London
• Tennis coin designed by Tracy Bainesfrom Peterborough
• Modern pentathlon coin designed byDaniel Brittain from Derby
• Canoeing coin designed byTimothy Lees from Stourton, Wiltshire
• Goalball coindesigned by Jonathan Wren from West London.

(4th row left - right)

• Badminton coin designed by Emma Kelly from North London
• Judo coin designed by David Cornell from Bexhill on Sea,Sussex
• Sailing coin designed by Bruce Rushin from Norwich
• Athletics coin designed by FlorenceJackson from Bristol, David Podmore from Stamford, Lincolnshire,
• Triathlon coin designed by Sarah Harvey from North London.

(Bottom row left - right)

• Football coin designed by Neil Wolfson from Harrow, London
• Boxing coin designed by Shane Abery from Reading,Berkshire
• Gymnastics coin designed by Jonathan Olliffefrom Witney, Oxfordshire
• Wheelchair rugby coin designed byNatasha Ratcliffe from Falmouth, Cornwall
• Volleyball coindesigned by Daniela Boothman from Leyland, Lancashire