The Canadian Premier League will become the first professional senior league to test Arsène Wenger’s “daylight” offside rule, where players are only offside if their entire body is past the defender.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has officially greenlit a revolutionary trial of Arsène Wenger’s “daylight” offside rule within the Canadian Premier League.
Set to debut in April 2026, the law dictates that an attacker is onside as long as any goal-scoring part of their body remains level with the defender.
This shift aims to favor attacking play and eliminate fractional VAR controversies.
Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, has long advocated for this change to restore the “advantage to the striker.”
FIFA President Gianni Infantino noted, “In case of doubt, the doubt benefits the striker.”
If the trial succeeds in Canada, the rule could be adopted globally by the 2027/28 season, fundamentally altering defensive tactics and goal-scoring frequencies across the sport.