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Arsene Wenger insists 'daylight offside' change make football even more exciting
Mar 31 2026 06:10 · By John Cross/Chief Football Writer · 20 Reads
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Arsene Wenger insists the “daylight offside” trial will make football more exciting. Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, believes it will help produce more goals and change the game in favour of strikers.
The trial was given the go-ahead by the International Football Association Board and will start in the Canadian Premier League from April 4.
Under the trial, a player will only be ruled offside if there is a gap – or “daylight” – between themselves and the second to last defender. In effect, attackers must be fully beyond the second last defending player to be penalised.
Wenger said: “This is an important pilot. By testing this new interpretation in a professional competition, we can better understand its impact, including in terms of improving clarity and the flow of the game and promoting attacking play.
“We look forward to analysing the results of the trial phase. We thank the Canadian Premier League and the Canadian Soccer Association for their willingness to support FIFA with this pilot and for providing their competition.”
FIFA say the “daylight offside” will introduce “a clearer visual threshold, the trial is aimed at restoring a greater attacking advantage and boosting the flow of matches.”
Is the daylight offside rule a good idea? Have your say in the comments section .
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The CPL will also trial Football Video Support (FVS) where coaches are given a set number of challenges in each game. They can be used in match-changing incidents on goals, penalties, red cards and mistaken identity.
The coach must give a request card to the fourth official before the game restarts. The fourth official will also check for any offences leading up to goals but is not seen as a replacement for VAR.
FIFA say the initiatives are part of wider measures “brought in to enhance match tempo and reduce time-wasting were approved and updates were given on ongoing developments in offside-related technologies and trials.”