FIFA’s head of global development Arsene Wenger has proposed a new offside rule following VAR’s offside controversy that saw Olivier Giroud’s goal against Manchester United and Pedro Neto against Leicester City ruled out for offside despite the narrowest of margins.
According to Wenger, a player shouldn’t be deemed offside if any part of their body is level or behind the last defender.
Wenger wants to see a change in the offside law in time for this summer’s European Championships.
“You will not be offside if any part of the body that can score a goal is in line with the last defender, even if other parts of the attacker’s body are in front,” Wenger said, as quoted by Sky Sports.
“That will sort it out and you will no longer have decisions about millimetres and a fraction of the attacker being in front of the defensive line.”
Wenger’s proposed offside would mean goals like Giroud’s against Manchester United would stand as other parts of his body were in line with the last Manchester United defender.
The offside law is due to be discussed by the game’s lawmakers IFAB at their AGM in Belfast on February 29.