VAR Lines, Be Gone! IFAB Set To Revisit Arsene Wenger’s Game-Changing Offside Proposal

Last Updated:October 21, 2025, 21:03 IST

IFAB is reviewing Arsène Wenger’s offside rule proposal, where a player is offside only if their entire body is ahead of the defender, aiming to reduce VAR debates.

Arsene Wenger's proposal for a new offside rule can completely change football as we know it (X)

Football might be on the brink of a significant tweak to one of its oldest rules.

The IFAB is set to revisit Arsène Wenger’s long-debated offside proposal: a concept that could change the way the game is played at every level.

What is Wenger’s renewed offside rule?

The essence of Wenger’s idea is simple but radical: a player would only be deemed offside if their entire body — not just a shoulder, toe, or fingertip — is beyond the last defender.

The goal is to eliminate those agonizing, millimetric VAR decisions that have sparked endless debates in recent years and to encourage more attacking football.

Criticism against the new proposal

First floated during his tenure as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Wenger’s proposal has always aimed at making football more fluid, dynamic, and entertaining.

By removing marginal offside calls, the rule could create more scoring opportunities and push teams to rethink their defensive lines and pressing strategies.

Critics, however, warn that the change could drastically affect defensive tactics.

Backlines might have to sit deeper, creating more space in midfield and potentially stretching matches into frenetic, end-to-end affairs. Some argue it could favor attackers too heavily, leading to chaotic situations in the box.

Should Wenger’s vision gain approval, football fans could witness a new dawn in football. The smallest adjustments, after all, can make the biggest difference, and Wenger’s offside overhaul might just be one of the game’s boldest changes in decades.

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

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News sports VAR Lines, Be Gone! IFAB Set To Revisit Arsene Wenger’s Game-Changing Offside Proposal

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