Ya gotta do what your coord directs, but considering the tops of the numbers (properly marked) are 9 yards from the sideline, and the numbers are typically two yards tall, that leaves 7 yards between the numbers and the sideline. That's at least two steps for even the longest of strides. His "next step" may not take him out of bounds, and that is the official guideline. Not sure why you'd need to be more lenient, but when in Rome...