Wenger offside trial lacks IFAB panel support after Canadian season

Arsene Wenger's proposed change to the offside law is unlikely to have its trial extended after failing to attract sufficient support at IFAB assessment panels on Tuesday, BBC Sport reported. The discussions reviewed evidence from the Canadian Premier League, where the experiment has operated throughout the year. The panels' assessment is an early stage in considering possible law changes for the 2027-28 season, rather than a final decision.

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The trial allows an attacker to remain onside when any part of the body is level with the second-last opponent. The Canadian league's regular season ended on Sunday, giving the football and technical panels a full season of results to assess. Those panels include former players, coaches and referees, and the evidence presented to them showed changes in both offside decisions and defensive positioning.

According to BBC Sport, the panels were told that offside decisions fell by 54%, with 13 additional goals across 112 matches. However, defensive lines also moved back by three metres over the season. Set-pieces appeared to be particularly affected as defences adjusted to the extra advantage available to attackers under the experimental interpretation.

Canada also tested Football Video Support, a system that lets coaches challenge decisions twice during a match. The report said this helped contain the impact of the offside experiment, but that such support would not be available in most leagues. The review therefore covered a trial conducted alongside an additional mechanism for checking decisions, as well as the changes seen on the field.

The panels supported a separate proposal affecting penalty shootouts. Under the planned adjustment, the captain winning the toss would choose either the end to be used or whether to take the first kick. The opposing captain would decide the other issue. That would replace the current arrangement, which allows one team to benefit from both choices. There was little backing for extending the five-second countdown used for throw-ins and goal-kicks to free-kicks and corners.

A goalkeeper-treatment trial in English football received a favourable assessment so far. It requires an outfield player to leave the pitch when a goalkeeper receives treatment, aiming to discourage tactical stoppages. BBC Sport reported that the measure had been enforced only twice in 80 Premier League matches. The discussions remain part of the process for considering next season's laws, with no final offside change announced in the report.