May 8 – FIFA Head of Global Development Arsène Wenger has proposed a significant change to the offside rule, with the former Arsenal manager believing attackers should be onside if any part of their body is in line with the last outfield defender.
Players are currently ruled offside if any part of their body that can score a goal is beyond the last defender. Wenger believes the potential change would restore the advantage to attackers, addressing concerns from many centre-forwards who feel VAR has eroded their upper hand in the modern game.
The Frenchman’s justification looks at history and goes back to the 1990 World Cup, where players were considered offside if level with the last defender. That tournament notoriously produced the lowest scoring rate in World Cup history at just 2.21 goals per match.
“It was in 1990 after the World Cup in Italy when there were no goals scored,” Wenger told beIN Sports, recalling the subsequent rule change.
“We decided that there is no offside anymore when you are on the same line of the defender. In case of doubt, the doubt benefits the striker. That means when there’s a fraction, the striker did get the advantage. With VAR this advantage disappeared and for many people it’s frustrating.”
Trials of the new proposal have taken place in Italian youth football, with Wenger indicating additional trials will follow before a final decision.
Any change to the offside rule requires approval from the sport’s lawmakers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which agreed to further FIFA-conducted trials at its annual general meeting in March.
Interestingly, the offside law itself dates back to the 1860s. It was first formalised in the Cambridge Rules of 1848, but its original purpose wasn’t to catch attackers in marginally advanced positions, but rather to prevent “goal-hanging” – where attackers would simply wait near the opponent’s goal. The modern interpretation of the rule, with its millimetre precision enforced by VAR, represents a significant departure from this original intent of maintaining fair, flowing gameplay.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1746713818labto1746713818ofdlr1746713818owedi1746713818sni@o1746713818fni1746713818