By Martin Graham
Former Arsenal boss Arsène Wenger has suggested an amendment to the offside regulation that could favor attacking players. As FIFA’s chief of global football development, Wenger explained that under his proposal, an attacker would be considered onside as long as any part of their body that can legally score is aligned with the final outfield defender.
Currently, players are penalized for offside if any scoring body part – excluding arms and hands – is past the last defender at the time the ball is played. Wenger believes this change would counteract the effect of video assistant referee (VAR) technology, which has led to extremely tight calls that often go against forwards.
Wenger drew a parallel with adjustments made after the 1990 World Cup in Italy. At that tournament, goals were scarce – averaging just 2.21 per match, the lowest ever in the competition’s history. Following that, the offside law was relaxed to allow attackers to be onside if they were level with the final defender, a move that aimed to increase scoring.
Speaking to Bein Sports, Wenger recalled that rule change and said it aimed to benefit attacking play. “In case of doubt, the advantage went to the striker,” he said. “With VAR, that benefit disappeared, and for many, that’s frustrating.”
Tests of the proposed offside interpretation have already taken place in Italian youth competitions. Wenger noted that more pilot programs will be conducted ahead of a potential global implementation, which might be decided in 2026.
The authority to modify the game’s laws lies with the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which includes football experts such as ex-players and referees. IFAB gave its approval for further trials to be carried out by FIFA during its annual gathering in March. According to the board, the purpose of these tests is to examine whether the modification could boost attacking football and create more goal chances while keeping the sport appealing.
Any alteration to the rules would require consultation with football’s major stakeholders and depend on feedback from IFAB’s advisory groups.
Meanwhile, major competitions, including the Premier League and Champions League, are already using semi-automated offside systems. This technology, based on specialized camera setups, tracks key points on players’ bodies to help VAR officials determine positioning at the precise moment the ball is passed.
Other major updates to the game – such as the back-pass restriction and the three-points-for-a-win system – were also introduced following the 1990 World Cup in an effort to promote more attacking styles. By the 1994 tournament, the average number of goals had increased to 2.71 per match.
