Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has detailed some major rule changes that FIFA are considering, which could lead to significant changes in global football.
The ex-Gunners boss is now FIFA’s Chief Head of Global Football, where he is driving rule changes within the game.
As part of his role, the Frenchman is pushing for major changes to change the outlook of football across the globe - including relaxing the law surrounding offsides, which has been brought into question following the introduction of VAR.
“For the moment, you are offside if a part of your body that you can score with sits ahead of the body of a defender,” he told French outlet L’Equipe.
“I would like it to be that there is no offside so long as a (single) body part which a player can score with is in line with the defender.
“This could be too much of an advantage for an attacker, because that obliges the defenders to play higher up.”
Other changes being considered are perhaps more controversial though, as he has shared his vision to change corner kicks and throw-ins late in the game.
“We are also considering other things: an in-swinging corner that goes out of play and comes back in could be made valid, this would create new goalscoring opportunities. There is also the option of quickly playing a free-kick to yourself.
“I would also like to change the throw-in rule: five minutes before the end, a throw-in for you should be an advantage, but in these situations, you are facing 10 outfield players in play, whilst you only have 9.
“Stats show that in 8 out of 10 of those throw-in situations, you lose the ball. In your half of the pitch, you should have the possibility to take a kick instead.”
Recent years have already seen major changes to the laws of the game, with the most notable being allowing goal-kicks to be played to defenders inside of the penalty area, with Wenger explaining how that has unintentionally led to major changes to the game.
“I think that the new rule that allows you to play in the box from the start of play within 5.5m has profoundly changed play. I have to admit that I did not see it coming.
“This has consequences. The real playmaker now is the goalkeeper. And instead of looking to play as quickly as possible in the opposition half, you are looking to create space in your own box.
“This has created dangerous situations because teams press very hard, so well that they leave a lot of space. And this rule, which was innocent at the start, has profoundly turned the game upside down.”
