Back in 2020, Arsene Wenger had a simple, but very interesting idea to change the way in which offside is judged: an attacker is only offside if their entire body, capable of scoring, is ahead of the last defender, creating “daylight” or a clear gap, rather than being level. The aim of this is to increase goals by reducing controversial VAR calls where marginal offside negates goals, returning advantage to the attacker, as in older rule interpretation. And this makes perfectly sense, even if it won’t be, most likely, never implemented.

Do you want to win, or to enjoy the game?

I am talking as a football fan, a sports lover. In the end, sports needs to be a spectacle, not a “tactics” game. Because so-called tactics are just an alibi which disguises the lack of talent, the should be beauty of the game… We want to see goals, not non-scoring goals. This is what people pay for, at a stretch. “You want to see your team win, not spectacle!”, can be a conventional wisdom shaped phrase. In some moments it is applicable and true, but in general people want to see goals, to see vibrant attacks, not only tension and rigid play. This is what current offside and VAR offers. And it can’t get any better in the current estate. I mean, if you want to influence decisively a decision, you can draw a proper line on the VAR, and blow accordingly…

Everybody pays to see offensive players

For me, as a football supporter, offensive is the most important. That sells, in the end. All pay to see Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, Mbappe, Hallaand, not the likes of Sergio Ramos, Maldini, Neuer and so on. This is the truth. The rule proposed by Wenger can improve also not only the number of goals, but also how defenders play. In the end, it shouldn’t be such a big difference. The advantage is only marginal, but will exist, and will delete a ridiculous controversy. And if Arsene Wenger, one of the most respected coaches of all time, 22 years at Arsenal, is not in a position to offer a decent perspective of how football should be, then I am not sure who could…

The “torso” rule, easier to implement?

Now, if this won’t be implemented for sure, it is said the “torso” rule, an alternate suggestion. This states to use the torso as the reference point for offside, ignoring the feet and the head. Just how that could work in practice for assistant referees, especially in a crowd of bodies, is unclear, and that keeps a problem statement, at at least the same level as Wenger’s idea. It is just that his idea looks easier do deal with… But, of course, more unpopular for those who live with football, without producing necessary any kind of value…