Significant Update on Rule Change That Jamie Vardy of Leicester City Would Support

The likelihood of a significant alteration to the offside law aimed at benefiting attackers, such as Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, seems to be diminishing as senior sources express skepticism regarding the progress of ongoing trials.

Arsene Wenger, the former Arsenal manager and now FIFA’s chief of global football development, has been a prominent supporter of modifying the offside rule.

His proposal suggests that a player could be considered onside if they are ahead of the second-last defender, provided there is no visible ‘daylight’ between them.

This law change was initially proposed in 2020 but faced setbacks due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted early trials.

Subsequently, the revised offside rule has been tested in youth competitions across Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

An update on these trials is anticipated during a meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) advisory panels on Tuesday.

However, two individuals close to the situation informed the PA news agency that they had not observed significant advancements regarding this proposal.

One individual noted that the trials do not appear to be a priority for IFAB.

According to Wenger’s suggestion, a player would be deemed onside if any part of their body capable of scoring a goal is level with the second-last defender when the ball is played.

If implemented, this change would represent the most substantial revision to the offside law since 1990, when it was updated to determine that a forward who is level with the second-last defender is onside.

The introduction of VAR has led to controversial decisions regarding marginal offsides, often referred to as ‘toenail’ or ‘armpit’ offsides.

Even with the proposed ‘daylight’ rule, it is anticipated that there will still be contentious calls requiring adjudication.

On Tuesday, additional updates are expected regarding other trials, including a proposal allowing referees to designate a captain-only zone.

UEFA’s initiative for Euro 2024, which did not necessitate a law change, allows for players other than the captain to face a potential booking for dissent if they approach the referee.

Following this, the IFAB has released guidelines to assist other competitions interested in adopting a similar approach while continuing its own signalling trial, recognizing the challenges of enforcing such measures in lower-level, grassroots competitions without camera support.