Arsene Wenger’s proposed offside rule finds an unexpected guinea pig: Canada

Lunenburg, N.S.—Modern football has become a contest of millimetres, with video assistant referees freezing frames to decide whether a toe or shoulder has strayed beyond the last defender. The frustration has spawned global debate, but change may be coming—first to Canada.

The Canadian Premier League, an eight-team competition that kicked off only in 2019, is poised to trial Arsene Wenger’s “daylight” offside interpretation as early as the 2026 season. Under the plan, an attacker is onside if no clear space—no “daylight”—exists between any part of the attacker and the second-last defender. The concept, championed by the former Arsenal manager in his role as FIFA’s head of global development, needs only approval at this weekend’s International Football Association Board meeting in Cardiff to move from youth pitches to professional turf.

Youth experiments have been encouraging, yet the CPL would become the first senior competition to test the rule in live conditions. League officials, speaking anonymously to The Athletic, say the move aligns with a core value: innovation. A CPL spokesperson confirmed “exploratory discussions” with FIFA, adding that the league’s compact size and April-to-October calendar make it an ideal laboratory. “You play your game and then you have three other matches to watch that weekend,” says Phil Dos Santos, a former CPL coach and current assistant with Detroit City FC. “Quicker feedback, easier tweaks, less people impacted.”

Dos Santos argues the tweak could correct the microscopic officiating that has turned goals into let-downs, citing Manchester United’s January derby dominance that still finished with disallowed strikes. Critics counter that the offside trap could die and high defensive lines become suicidal, yet Dos Santos believes coaches will adapt pressing schemes just as they did after the back-pass rule. “We haven’t seen the last of change,” he says.

VAR is absent in the CPL for now, but IFAB is expected to insist on further trials inside video-reviewed leagues. If Canadian data prove persuasive, daylight offside could spread worldwide. Players, coaches and supporters will watch the CPL’s 117-match regular season and playoff slate to see whether goals—and celebrations—return to the spotlight.

Josh Healey is a freelance journalist based in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.