Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s Head of Global Football Development, has reignited the debate around one of the sport’s most contentious rules — offside. The former Arsenal manager has proposed a fundamental shift in how offside is judged, aiming to give attackers more freedom and revive the excitement of attacking football.
Currently, a player is deemed offside if any part of their body, excluding the hands and arms, is ahead of the last outfield defender when the ball is played. But Wenger’s new proposal, dubbed the ‘daylight rule’, suggests that a player should be considered onside if any part of their body is in line with the last defender.
Speaking to Bein Sports, Wenger likened the proposed change to the rule amendment made after the 1990 World Cup in Italy. At that time, players were judged offside even when level with the last defender — a restriction widely blamed for the tournament’s historically low goal average of just 2.21 goals per game.
“It was in 1990 after the World Cup in Italy when there were no goals scored,” Wenger recalled. “We decided that there is no offside any more when you are on the same line as the defender. In case of doubt, the doubt benefits the striker.”
The post-1990 changes, including awarding three points for a win and modifying the back-pass rule, aimed to encourage attacking play. The results were evident at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, where the goal average jumped to 2.71 per game — a marked improvement that signalled a more entertaining brand of football.
However, the advent of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in recent years has created new frustrations. Highly precise offside decisions — sometimes disallowing goals for a toe or a shoulder being marginally offside — have sparked widespread debate about fairness and the spirit of the game.
Semi-automated offside technology, already in use in competitions like the Premier League and Champions League, further intensified scrutiny. In last week’s Champions League semi-final first leg, Inter Milan’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan was ruled offside by a toe — a ruling that encapsulates the frustration felt by fans and players alike.
“With VAR, this advantage disappeared and for many people it’s frustrating,” Wenger said. His suggested rule change would aim to shift the balance back in favour of attackers, giving the benefit of the doubt to the offensive player in tight situations.
Trials of the proposed daylight rule have already taken place in Italian youth leagues, and further experiments are planned ahead of a potential global rollout. The ultimate decision rests with the International Football Association Board (IFAB), football’s law-making body, which approved the continued testing during its annual general meeting in March.
According to IFAB, the objective is clear: “To foster attacking football and encourage goalscoring opportunities while maintaining the game’s attractiveness.”
Before any rule change is implemented, IFAB will consult a range of stakeholders, including football’s technical and football advisory panels. These panels feature respected voices from the game — including former players, coaches, and referees — who will provide insights into the feasibility and potential impact of the change.
Wenger, who spent over two decades promoting dynamic football as Arsenal’s manager, has long championed innovation in the sport. His push for offside reform is just one of several initiatives under his leadership at FIFA, where he has also advocated for changes in youth development, fixture congestion, and tournament formats.
Whether the daylight rule becomes part of football’s future remains to be seen, but it is clear that momentum is building for a more attacking interpretation of the offside law. For fans and players yearning for fewer VAR interruptions and more goals, Wenger’s proposal might just be the change the beautiful game needs.
