Scoring goals made easy. FIFA is revolutionizing offside rules

Despite the video referees, disputed offside decisions always cause great debate. FIFA now wants to test a new rule. The strikers should be happy about that.

The current offside rule has been around for nearly 100 years. There have often been heated debates when it comes to centimeter decisions. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why FIFA is now considering a radical change, according to information from “Sport Bild”.

Thomas Müller: “It will be useful for the attackers”

In accordance with this, a player will now be in an offside position only if his whole body is closer to the opponent’s goal than the last field player of the opponent’s team at the time of the pass. The proposal is due to input from former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger.

This regulation will make life easier for the attacker and harder for the defender. If the attacking player makes a clever advance, but one foot is still level with the opponent, the game continues.

Thomas Müller is not entirely convinced by this idea and tells Bild: “Of course it would be good for us strikers. I think that in general there are enough goals in football that you don’t have to force them artificially. Football thrives when people understand the rules. The game is spot on. It should stay that way.”

Tests in Italy, Holland and Sweden

The current rule states that offside occurs when a player has any part of his body closer to the opponent’s goal than the last player at the time the ball is passed. Arms and hands are excluded from this.

The new offside rule is set to be tested in Italian, Dutch and Swedish leagues. More goals are likely to be scored, but centimeter resolutions will remain in place even if the rule, which will soon be 100 years old, ends.