Football's offside rule could change — Here’s Wenger’s new proposal and how it works

Football could soon see one of its biggest rule changes in decades after a proposal by former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger to modify the offside law was approved for trial in Canada.

The initiative, often referred to as the “Wenger offside rule” or “daylight rule,” aims to reduce controversial VAR decisions and give attackers more advantage in the game.

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The trial is expected to begin during the 2026 season of the Canadian Premier League (CPL), marking the first time the idea will be tested in a fully professional senior league.

Wenger, who is currently FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, has argued for several years that the modern interpretation of offside, especially with the introduction of VAR and semi-automated offside technology, has led to frustrating decisions where goals are ruled out by millimetres.

According to Wenger, football historically gave the “benefit of the doubt to the attacker.” However, the use of technology has often reversed that advantage, leading to frequent debates when a striker is ruled offside because of a shoulder, toe, or knee being slightly ahead of a defender.The proposed rule aims to restore that attacking advantage and increase the number of goals scored in matches.

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Under the existing Laws of the Game, a player is considered offside if any part of their head, body or feet that can score a goal is closer to the opponent’s goal line than the second-last defender when the ball is played to them. This means even a tiny portion of a player’s body such as a shoulder or boot being ahead of the defender can result in an offside decision.

The new proposal flips the interpretation of the rule. Under Wenger’s system, a player would only be offside if their entire body is beyond the last defender. If any part of the attacker’s body is still in line with the defender, the player would be considered onside.

In simple terms, the attacker must be completely ahead of the defender before an offside offence is called. This is said to reduce extremely tight VAR decisions, encourage attacking football and increase goal-scoring opportunities.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB)—football’s law-making body—approved the idea for experimental trials, rather than immediate global adoption.

Key details of the trial include:
Competition: Canadian Premier League (CPL)
Start date: 2026 season (from around April)
Decision on global adoption: Expected after reviewing trial results, potentially within a year.

The CPL was selected partly because it is a professional league willing to test innovations and currently operates without VAR, allowing officials to study how the rule works in real matches.

The Canadian Premier League, founded in 2019, has positioned itself as a testing ground for football innovations. The absence of VAR in the league could make it easier to observe how the new interpretation affects refereeing decisions and gameplay.

Football authorities hope the experiment will provide real-world data on tactical changes in defending, whether goal numbers increase and how referees interpret the rule without technology.

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The proposal has generated strong debate across football.Some argue that the rule could give attackers too much advantage and force teams to defend deeper, potentially changing the tactical balance of the sport. On the flip side, others argue that it would restore excitement and fairness by eliminating controversial VAR decisions that often take minutes to review.

The Canadian trial will be closely monitored by FIFA and IFAB, who will assess its impact on the game before deciding whether to implement the rule globally.If the experiment is deemed successful, the new interpretation of offside could potentially be introduced across professional competitions worldwide in the coming years.