Arsene Wenger's proposed change to the offside law looks to be closer than ever following new backing from FIFA.
Since the introduction of VAR, the offside law has been one of the biggest talking points in world football, with fans debating how the rule is applied on a seemingly weekly basis.
With so much controversy, there have been talks to make a huge change to the way offside is determined, with former Arsenal manager, Wenger, leading the way.
Wenger is currently in charge of overseeing the laws of the game for FIFA and has been working on the new proposal for the past four years.
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Wenger said in 2020: “There is room to change the rule and not say that a part of a player’s nose is offside, so you are offside because you can score with that. Instead, you will be not offside if any part of the body that can score a goal is in line with the last defender, even if other parts of the attacker’s body are in front.
“That will sort it out and you will no longer have decisions about millimetres and a fraction of the attacker being in front of the defensive line.”
Many who oppose the change believe the switch would create too big of a tactical change, with attackers gaining a significant advantage. However, Wenger has reportedly been convinced with trials of the rule in Sweden, Italy, and the Netherlands.
David Dein, the former Arsenal and FA vice-chairman backed Wenger's proposal at the FIFA Congress in Bangkok last week.
“The offside rule has to change as it is too contentious and problematic. Arsène’s idea is refreshingly innovative," he told The Times.
While Wenger's master plan looks to finally be gaining a bit of traction, it is understood that the new head of Uefa’s Football Board, Luis Figo, still has some reservations over such a drastic change.
The Times also reports that it is likely the rule will be trialled in competitions that use VAR, to get the best possible gauge of how it would perform at the highest level.
Topics: Football, VAR, FIFA, Arsenal, Arsene Wenger
Tom Jenkins