Wenger offside law ‘to be trialled’ in Canadian Premier League from April 2026 | OneFootball

A proposed reinterpretation of offside, championed by Arsène Wenger in his FIFA role, would mark a significant shift to favour attackers and curb microscopic VAR calls.

At present, a player is penalised if any goal-scoring body part is beyond the last defender. Under the so-called Wenger law, an attacker would only be offside if completely ahead of that defender, with any part level deemed legal. The BBC reports that the first professional trial will begin in the first week of April 2026 in the Canadian Premier League (CPL).

The aim is to encourage attacking play, create more chances and cut the centimetre calls that have inflamed the VAR era. Decisions based on knees, shoulders or toes have frustrated players and supporters, and Wenger argues the law’s original intent was to prevent goalhanging, not punish margins invisible to the eye.

Tight decisions will not vanish, but the calculation would change. Instead of millimetres between two positions, the focus shifts to the space between striker and defender, with technology still applied to a different reference.

This pilot follows tests in youth and lower tiers. FIFA and IFAB will assess its impact on the game before any wider move.

Any adoption in major competitions would not be immediate. If outcomes are positive, a formal debate on implementation could follow for the 2027/28 season, including international tournaments.

Source: Superdeporte