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FIFA Signals Openness to Wenger-Style Offside Overhaul

IFAB will weigh testing plans at its January 20 meeting in London.

Overview

  • FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in Dubai that the organization is re-examining offside to make the sport more attacking and easier to watch.
  • The concept under review, proposed by Arsène Wenger in 2020, would deem an attacker onside if any goal-scoring body part is level with the second-last defender.
  • Under the idea, a player would only be offside when fully beyond the last defender, reducing VAR decisions based on a knee, shoulder, or toe.
  • IFAB previously allowed trials that were disrupted by the pandemic, and its advisory panel in October urged further analysis and additional testing.
  • The next decision point is IFAB’s January 20 session in London, with some commentators speculating about a March rollout, though no change has been approved.