Canadian Premier League trials Wenger's daylight offside rule

The Canadian Premier League is testing a new off‑side interpretation devised by former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger. The rule, dubbed the “daylight” law, defines an off‑side position only when a player’s entire body is ahead of the penultimate defender; any part of the foot or other body part overlapping the defender means the player is on‑side. The experiment was demonstrated in the Vancouver FC vs Atlético Ottawa match, where French striker Lys Mousset’s goal was ruled out not for off‑side but for a foul on a teammate.

The league uses a simplified VAR system called Football Video Support, allowing coaches to request reviews. The trial runs for the season, after which FIFA and IFAB will assess its impact on tactics, goal‑scoring opportunities and the frequency of marginal decisions before deciding on wider adoption.