Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is one of the driving forces behind a potential change to the offside rule, but his bold plans are likely to run into opposition from UEFA.
Manager Arsene Wenger proposes drastic reform of offside laws (Image: Getty Images)
Arsene Wenger’s plans to overhaul offside laws have been hit hard by UEFA and the English federation. The former Arsenal manager and current head of world football development at FIFA has proposed major changes to the way offside is determined.
He believes VAR and semi-automatic offside decisions are robbing strikers of the advantage in close games. So he proposed a new “daylight” method to enhance that advantage.
Basically, a forward is only considered offside if there is open space between him and the defender. If any part of your body forms a straight line, you are considered onside.
Wenger said of his suggestion: “It was after the 1990 World Cup in Italy, when there were no goals scored. We decided that if you were on the same line as the defender, there was no offside anymore.”
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“When in doubt, the benefit of the doubt is given to the striker, which means that when there are minutes, the striker has the advantage. With the advent of VAR, this advantage has disappeared, which is frustrating for many.”
“That’s why I suggested that as long as any part of your body is on the same line as the defender, you’re not offside. We’re experimenting with that now. Within a year, the IFAB will be making the decision, not me.”
However, if the latest answers are to be believed, it seems unlikely that Wenger’s plan will be passed. The Times reports that the four British associations participating in IFAB believe the idea is too drastic and would significantly change the way the game is played at elite level.
Gianni Infantino supports Wenger’s proposal (Image: Getty Images)
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UEFA has a similar opinion and is expected to come up with a compromise where a player’s torso will be judged offside if it goes beyond the defender, but his feet, feet or head will not.
As it stands, the British associations have one vote each for IFAB and FIFA has four. Six votes are required to pass any decision.
Last month, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said of potential offside changes: “We are looking at the offside rule, which has evolved over the years and now requires the attacker to be behind the defender and at the same height as the defender. Perhaps in the future, the attacker will need to be completely in front of him to be considered offside.”
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