
<p>International Football Association Board (IFAB), the independent law-making authority for world soccer, is reportedly debating whether to significantly alter the offside rule.</p>



<p>The newly proposed rule is said to align closely with the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/fifa-testing-controversial-new-offside-rule-says-report-20230913-WST-456011.html">recommendations put forth by renowned manager Arsene Wenger</a>.</p>



<p>With the establishment of the Video assistant referee (VAR), the offside regulation has been updated and clarified in recent years, although it has remained mostly unchanged for decades.</p>



<p><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/ex-premier-league-coach-advocates-for-abandoning-var-20231112-WST-469550.html">VAR</a> has allowed for a far more thorough investigation of possible offsides. Because of this, many goals are disallowed because an attacker’s toe or bent knee puts them in an offside position.</p>



<p>The meticulous investigation of infractions and their impact on games has become more irritating to fans. The system was intended to be in place to address ‘clear and obvious errors’ made by the referees. But rather than doing that, it has been used for the sole purpose of finding fault in them.</p>



<p>It has not only ignited debates among soccer pundits and fans but has also led to controversial decisions in actual soccer matches.</p>



<h2>What does ‘Wenger law’ mean?</h2>



<p>In accordance with the <a href="https://www.theifab.com/laws/latest/offside/#offside-position" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">current IFAB regulation</a>, offside is defined as: “Any part of the head, body and feet is nearer to the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent.” In layman’s terms, if any part of the attacking player’s body, that he can score with, is ahead of the last defender, he is ruled offside.”</p>



<p>Put another way, offside is called when any part of a player’s body that may score (except hands and arms) is in front of the second-to-last opponent. The underarm region is the only other section of a player’s body that may be considered offside.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="439" height="598" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20231119_WST_471389_image-8.webp&amp;width=439&amp;height=598" alt="" class="wp-image-471402" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/image-8.png 439w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/11/image-8-220x300.png 220w" sizes="(max-width: 439px) 100vw, 439px"></figure><figcaption>Graphic representation of proposed Wenger’s law by IFAB</figcaption></figure>



<p>Due to VAR’s questionable choices, particularly in high-stakes scenarios, this has become a hotly debated topic. However, Arsene Wenger, former manager of Arsenal and current acting FIFA president of global football development, has proposed modifying the offside rule.</p>



<p>He wants to loosen the rules a little for the strikers so that goals aren’t called back for minor infractions that provide no meaningful benefit to the defense. It has been reported by Spanish newspaper, <a href="https://twitter.com/centregoals/status/1725848526444245349?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marca</a> that the Frenchman wants the rule changed such that the attacker’s complete body must be in front of the final defender for a goal to be scored.</p>



<p>However, the ex-<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/arsenal-tv-schedule/">Arsenal</a> coach wants the regulation clarified so that an attacker whose foot is slightly “offside” would not be called offside.</p>



<h2>When could leagues start using it?</h2>



<p>Football fans in the highest divisions would probably be relieved by the plan since it would put an end to the time-consuming assessments of various body parts by VAR. However, this would also add a subjective aspect to the proceedings, which might potentially increase the debate surrounding the usage of VAR in the long run.</p>



<p>According to the proposal, the modification will be implemented in time for the 2024-25 season if it receives approval.</p>



<p>The new offside regulation, dubbed “the Wenger Law,” will be tried out for the first time in Sweden’s under-21 men’s league and under-19 women’s league. Both the Netherlands and Italy have committed to testing out the Wenger Law in the future</p>



<p>Wenger first introduced the revised offside rule to the IFAB in 2021, with testing occurring in the lower tiers of Chinese soccer leagues the following year.</p>



<p>Photo credit: IMAGO / PA Images</p>


IFAB contemplate major offside rule change for next season

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has allegedly recommended that IFAB make a big alteration to the offside regulation for the next season.

IFAB contemplate major offside rule change for next season - World Soccer Talk


<p>Offside decisions are regularly some of the most debated topics when it comes to the sport of soccer. After all, these calls by referees can come down to mere millimeters on the pitch. This means that exciting and important goals can, and tend to be, chalked off for minuscule infractions. FIFA, with help from the International Football Association Board (IFAB), is looking at ways to fix this.</p>



<p>As reported by <em><a href="https://www.marca.com/en/football/2023/07/03/64a310c8268e3e07148b45c0.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marca</a></em>, FIFA president Gianni Infantino is looking to promote a more attacking game. This could include implementing new rules to limit offside decisions. Legendary former <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/arsenal-tv-schedule/">Arsenal</a> manager Arsene Wenger is currently working for FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development. The Frenchman has previously submitted a new idea regarding offside rules to IFAB.</p>



<h2>FIFA in favor of new offside rule</h2>



<p>According to Wenger, a player would no longer be offside as long as any part of their body is in line with the opposing last defender. This is a drastic difference from current rules. Players now have to keep their entire body (except arms) behind or level with the last defender in line.</p>



<p>The proposed rule change has intrigued Infantino. FIFA’s president previously revealed that the sport would consider a rule change regarding offside. “The offside rule has evolved over the last 100 years and we are now discussing it again,” Infantino <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-fifa-offside/infantino-says-fifa-wants-to-improve-the-offside-rule-idUKKBN28E2VA">proclaimed</a> a few years ago.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">FIFA are set to begin trialling a new offside rule ahead of the 2023/24 season in the Netherlands, Italy and Sweden 👀<br><br>The new rule would mean that the entire player of an attacking player would have to be in front of the defender to be ruled offside, something that would see… <a href="https://t.co/d5aTKmHJfv">pic.twitter.com/d5aTKmHJfv</a></p>— SPORTbible (@sportbible) <a href="https://twitter.com/sportbible/status/1675560719683551232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p>“We are looking to see if we can make the offside rule better, not because of VAR but because we want to foster offensive football.”</p>



<h5>Total amount of VAR reviews may stay the same</h5>



<p>Soccer fans currently have varied opinions on the use of VAR. Some say nitpicking every detail kills the flow and passion of matches. Others, however, just want referees to make the correct decision in games no matter what. Nevertheless, the implementation of VAR certainly varies depending on the league and the people involved.</p>



<p>The aforementioned news outlet claims that there are an average of four VAR offside reviews each game. Under the new proposed rules, these lengthy VAR calls could be cut in half. However, assuming a move is made, players would then try to stretch the rules in their favor. This would create similar issues to what is already in place.</p>



<p>While VAR interruptions may not make a significant change under the proposed rule, there will certainly be more goals each game. This is something that Infantino wants. The potential offside rule change is already being tested by FIFA at the moment.</p>



<p><em>PHOTO: IMAGO / PRiME Media Images</em></p>


FIFA testing controversial new offside rule, says report

FIFA is reportedly testing a potentially new controversial offside rule as president Gianni Infantino looks to add more goals to the game.

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Arsene Wenger

IFAB contemplate major offside rule change for next season

Arsene Wenger

FIFA testing controversial new offside rule, says report