Arsène Wenger, International Football Association Board and Canadian Premier League
27 October 2026
Arsène Wenger’s proposed daylight offside rule is unlikely to progress after receiving limited support from football lawmakers at an IFAB assessment meeting. The proposal would allow an attacker to remain onside whenever any part of their body is level with the second-last defender.
The Canadian Premier League tested the rule across 112 matches, reporting a 54% reduction in offside decisions and 13 additional goals. However, defensive lines retreated by an average of three metres, raising concerns about its tactical effects. IFAB’s advisory panels were reluctant to expand the experiment. They also discussed changes to penalty-shootout coin tosses and assessed measures intended to prevent tactical delays, but no final changes to football’s laws were approved.
Why It Matters
The proposed offside change is unlikely to reach major leagues despite producing more goals in testing.