Arsene Wenger’s experimental “daylight” offside rule is being trialled in Canada and the first goal allowed under it was scored on Saturday
Pacific FC striker Alejandro Diaz has scored the first goal allowed under the trialled “daylight” offside rule in the Canadian Premier League. The rule has long been advocated for by legendary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who works as Fifa’s chief of global football development.
History was made in Canada on Saturday as Pacific FC drew 2-2 away at Halifax Wanderers. Diaz opened the scoring in the 20th minute, but under standard Ifab rules, his goal would have been chalked off.
Yet it wasn’t and the goal stood, because the CPL is trialling a new offside rule in cooperation with Fifa, by which there must be a complete gap between the attacker and the second-to-last opposition player for them to be deemed offside.
This strike by Diaz was the first of its kind as the CPL continues to test out the new offside law this season in a bid to encourage attacking play. Wenger has championed this alteration, which could soon be seen in effect worldwide.
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READ MORE: Mikel Arteta makes telling comment about his relationship with Pep GuardiolaREAD MORE: Tony Adams hits out at Arsenal and Mikel Arteta: “Why do you need a manager then?”Football’s offside rule has undergone two key alterations in the past, one in 1925, when it was changed from requiring three opponents, including the goalkeeper, to be between a player and the goal line to be deemed onside, to only two.
Before 1990, an attacker also had to be behind the second-to-last defender, but this was changed by Ifab that year to make it so a player could be level and still be onside.
Wenger has been calling for a change to the offside rule for some time, speaking out in 2020 at the Laureus Sports Awards in Berlin. He began his current role with Fifa in 2019.
Last year he further explained his reasoning. He told beIN Sports: “It was in 1990 after the World Cup in Italy when there were no goals scored. We decided that there is no offside anymore when you are on the same line as the defender.
“In case of doubt, the doubt benefits the striker. That means when there’s a fraction, the striker did get the advantage. With VAR this advantage disappeared.
“For many people it’s frustrating. That’s why I proposed that as long as any part of your body is on the same line as the defender, you’re not offside.”
The CPL is the first top-flight league to trial this rule and it does not have VAR. There had been other trials held in Italy at the Under-18 Championship and in the Netherlands at youth level.
Results from this trial will be presented to Ifab by the CPL once this season comes to an end. It has been reported that the law could be introduced in Europe from the 2027/28 season.
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