FIFA to trial major change to the offside rule following Arsene Wenger’s suggestion
FIFA to trial major change to the offside rule following Arsene Wenger’s suggestion
FIFA is set to trial a significant change to the offside rule ahead of the new season – following a suggestion from legendary former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
Wenger has been vocal in his calls for the offside rules to be changed. The former Arsenal manager has served as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development since he left the Gunners in 2018.
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VAR images of Lautaro Martinez’s goal that was chalked off for offside during the 2022 FIFA World Cup game between Argentina and Saudi Arabia.
Under the current dispensation, a player is often deemed offside when any part of his body that can play the ball is ahead of the last defender. This has often led to lengthy Video Assistant Referee(VAR) checks, with goals being ruled out due to the tightest of margins.
At present, a player is deemed to be offside if any part of their body with which they can play the ball is ahead of the last defender.
This has frequently meant that players have been ruled offside by VAR over the most ridiculously small margins, something that many observers – including Wenger – feel goes against the spirit of the game.
Under the altered laws, players will only be flagged offside where their entire body, with which they can play the ball, is ahead of the last defender.