FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development is proposing a fundamental change to the offside law and it is one that could help the game avoid the sort of shambles that unfolded in Newcastle
Arsene Wenger speaks at a panel discussion ahead of the World Cup
Arsene Wenger is proposing a radical change to the offside law(Image: Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
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In Rome in 1993, Hicham El Guerrouj - the Moroccan middle distance athlete - had run a mile, showered and had started his media duty in the time it took for Antoine Semenyo’s second goal to be disallowed at St James’ Park on Tuesday night. Well, not quite, but you get the point.
El Guerrouj’s world mile record stands at 3:43.13 and it took officials 5:30.00 to cancel Semenyo’s effort. It does not take much longer for the winning horse to complete the three miles and two and a half furlongs of the Cheltenham Gold Cup course. And they have to jump 22 fences in that distance.
Even by VAR standards, it was peak farce. The VAR abolitionists - of which there were already many - had a bumper recruitment night.
It was hard not to join them. But the reality is that VAR is not going to be abolished. FIFA, for goodness sake, is going to use VAR to check on the legitimacy of corner-kick decisions and second yellow cards at the World Cup.
That should not stop the sensible English from deciding the game is better without VAR, surely? Didn’t everyone see how much fun the VAR-free FA Cup was last weekend?
Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City scores a goal that is later ruled out by VAR after a 'subjective offside review' due to impeding by Erling Braut Haaland (right) of Manchester City during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Newcastle United and Manchester City at St James' Park on January 13, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Antoine Semenyo had this effort against Newcastle United disallowed after VAR got involved (Image: )
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Er, no. When Wolves put forward a proposal to scrap VAR in June, 2024, they lost the vote at the Premier League meeting 19-1, the one being Wolves. VAR is here to stay so it goes without saying that its application is what needs radically altering.
A time limit would be a start. Anything that goes beyond 90 seconds, forget it. Sixty, even. And change the ‘clear and obvious’ threshold to a ‘blindingly obvious’ threshold. A ‘must-be-staring-you-in-the-face’ threshold, maybe.
But a most significant change would be to meet VAR halfway on the most contentious - and often time-consuming - area of its jurisdiction. Offside.
Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City celebrates during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Newcastle United and Manchester City
Antoine Semenyo has two goals in two Manchester City games but was controversially denied a third(Image: (Photo by Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images))
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It has been reported that the home associations will oppose FIFA’s desire to give new trials to Arsene Wenger’s proposed, radical change to the offside rule. And that is a shame.
In case you were unaware, Wenger has suggested a fundamental alteration to footballing law that would mean there needed to be clear daylight between a defender and attacker for offside to be given. It has been one of his more noteworthy contributions as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development.
And none of this torso, arms and legs stuff - an attacker would be onside unless there was clear daylight between them and ANY part of a defender’s body. Essentially, where VAR does not exist, that is pretty much how offside is judged anyway.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (left) and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger shake hands before the game
Pep Guardiola would almost certainly welcome Arsene Wenger's offside rule change(Image: )
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And it is becoming quite clear the semi-automated systems out there do not work properly. Hence, we needed the line-drawing as part of that lamentable delay at St James’ Park.
Opponents of Wenger’s proposal say it is too drastic and will shift the offside rule too much in favour of the attackers. To which the obvious retort is … and your point is?
It will be the same for both teams and the more welcome aspect would be a significant reduction in the timescale of VAR offside decisions. Sadly, for many, VAR is not going to be abolished. But it needs all the help it can get and Wenger’s Law would be a start.
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