Football chiefs consider major rule change in shake-up pitched by Arsene Wenger

Football fans have long vented their frustration over marginal offside calls, with many angered over “toenail offsides”, but ex-Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is leading proposals for a major shake-up

Football chiefs are set to discuss a major change to offside laws that would mean players would only be penalised if their upper torso overlapped the last defender.

Supporters have long been frustrated by marginal decisions through VAR after seeing goals chalked off for “toenail offsides” since the technology was first introduced in the Premier League in the 2019-20 season.

Now there could be changes coming to offside after years of frustration from both fans and pundits after perfectly good goals have been disallowed despite looking “level” with the last man.

According to the Sun, former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger – who is now FIFA’s head of global football development – is pushing for a new interpretation of the law so that “toenail offsides” are kicked out of the game.

Wenger and referees chief David Elleray are said to be leading the charge on the new proposals, which will be discussed by the International FA Board (IFAB) in Belfast on Saturday.

It is thought the new rule to determine offsides by the upper torso of the attacking player would make it much easier for officials to make decisions.

He previously called for a “daylight” rule on offside, which would mean that a player would be onside if any part of their body they can score a goal with was level with the last defender.

However, Wenger and IFAB chiefs have agreed that such a rule would favour the attacking side.

The new offside rule is set to be endorsed at the meeting, the report adds, with changes to VAR reviews and the six-second rule for goalkeepers are also set to be discussed.

Should the new rule for offsides be rubber-stamped, it could be introduced at top level football in the next three years.

It comes after semi-automated offsides were used in English football for the first time ever during Aston Villa’s win over Cardiff in the FA Cup on Friday night. The system uses 30 high-speed cameras, with offside lines drawn automatically and it is hoped they will help reduce decision times by an average of 31 seconds.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.