FIFA is testing a radical new offside rule in the Canadian Premier League starting this weekend. The so-called 'daylight offside' proposal, championed by former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, drastically favors attacking players. Under the trial, attackers are onside if any part of their body capable of scoring is level with the defender, eliminating the need for minute camera judgments common in top-tier matches.

Currently, offside calls rely on multiple cameras for the smallest margins, often leading to contentious 'armpit' or 'toenail' offsides. This change aims to simplify decisions and potentially increase attacking play. However, critics argue it gives attackers an unfair advantage, forcing defenses to retreat more cautiously.

The Canadian league's commissioner, James Johnson, stated the trial positions the CPL at the forefront of innovation. Wenger, FIFA's chief of global football development, pushed the idea through FIFA's IFAB panel, which upgraded trials to the CPL after failing to gain European support. The rule requires approval from two of the four British federations at the annual IFAB meeting to become permanent.

A compromise option, judging attackers offside only if their torso is beyond the defender, has already been discussed.