Arsene Wenger is planning his first major move as Fifa’s head of global development by fast-tracking the introduction of a new offside law.
The former Arsenal boss wants the new law to be in place before Euro 2020.
The Frenchman’s idea could solve the fiasco that has been the first year of VAR in the Premier League.
Wenger wants a player to be deemed onside if any part of their body that can score a goal is behind or level with the last remaining defender – provided the goalkeeper is also ahead of the play.
This move could counter the microscopic decisions made by VAR when players have been judged to be offside with a part of their body merely inches ahead of the play when watching a freeze frame.
The news comes after Olivier Giroud had his goal against Manchester United ruled out with a small part of his boot fractionally ahead of the play.
“The most difficult [issue] that people have [with VAR] is the offside rule,” Wenger said in Berlin at the Laureus Sports Awards. “You have had offsides by a fraction of a centimetre, literally by a nose. It is the time to do this quickly.
“There is room to change the rule and not say that a part of a player’s nose is offside, so you are offside because you can score with that. Instead, you will be not be offside if any part of the body that can score a goal is in line with the last defender, even if other parts of the attacker’s body are in front.
“That will sort it out and you will no longer have decisions about millimetres and a fraction of the attacker being in front of the defensive line.”
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) will consider the suggestion on 29 February.
The FAs of the four home nations and four Fifa represantives sit on the board with a three-quarters majority required to make the alteration – which would then occur on 1 June.
