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FIFA Will Trial Arsene Wenger's New Offside Rules And They're Going To Change Football Forever

FIFA Will Trial Arsene Wenger's New Offside Rules And They're Going To Change Football Forever

Wenger has been lobbying for rules changes in recent years.

Daniel Marland

Daniel Marland

Arsene Wenger's revolutionary changes to the offside rule have been presented to FIFA and they're prepared to trial them abroad.

Former Arsenal manager Wenger is currently the governing body's chief of global football development and has been pushing for offside changes for quite some time.

Wenger is advocating for attackers to be onside as long as any body part with which they can use to score is level with their second to last opponent.

The Times believe it will be trialed in an unnamed Chinese League with a view to bringing them worldwide in the future.

ESPN's Dale Johnson has showcased an example of a decision that would be ruled onside using Wenger's law.

Raheem Sterling's heel is level with John McGinn in the image below, meaning he's onside.

Current rules would see the Manchester City man offside.


FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed the trial on Friday and spoke optimistically about the rollout.

He stated per Evening Standard: "When it comes to the offside law, with the change in the game, with the speed in the game, with also the introduction of VAR - which makes it clear when there is an offside and when there is not - without VAR, the referees were having the instructions in case of doubt, you let go.

"We have been seeing that maybe we can think about a new law which allows a bit more attack in football.

"And Arsene Wenger presented to us today as well what this could look like and obviously, in summary, it is if the attacking player is ahead of the last defender, or second-last player, but still with one part of the body that can score inline with the defender.

Image
PA

"So it is giving the attacking player a bit more room and so favouring attacking football. Obviously such a change would need to be tested. We have to see what kind of impact this will have on the game - if positive, if negative.

"If it is positive, we might go ahead. If it is negative, we step back. But we are always here, like we did for VAR, to be open to new ideas and if we can make football even more attacking, even more passionate, then we certainly look into that.

"From there to say what is going to happen in a few years from now, we will see."

It comes after Timo Werner was judged to have been offside by his arm during Chelsea's 1-0 win over Liverpool on Thursday.

Under the proposed new law, Werner would be considered onside.

Do you think changes to the offside rule are needed? What changes would you make?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports & PA Images

Topics: Football, FIFA, Arsene Wenger