Photo: EPA
The game could undergo a major change in how offside is interpreted. The FIFA is set to begin an experiment testing new rules that will be introduced in the Canadian league.
According to The Athletic, matches in the Canadian Premier League will start on April 4. The first innovation is the so-called “Arsène Wenger offside” — a completely new interpretation of the rule proposed by the legendary coach, who heads FIFA’s global football development.
The proposed reform states that a player will be considered offside only if their entire body (excluding arms) is beyond the last defender. Under the current rule, offside is called if even a tiny part of the attacker’s body is closer to the goal than the defender.
Under the new system, no offside would be given even if the attacker is level with the defender, effectively eliminating marginal “millimeter” offsides and removing the need to judge very small gaps between players.
In addition, Canada will introduce a video review system called Football Video Support (FVS), which allows head coaches to challenge refereeing decisions using a special card. Upon request, disputed incidents will be reviewed by the referee. Coaches will have a limited number of challenges per match, with priority given to key situations such as goals, penalties, and red cards.
Final decisions after reviews will be made by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
