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The Canadian Premier League (CPL) will become the latest testing ground for a significant change to football’s offside law, confirming it will introduce a “daylight offside” trial at the start of its 2026 season on 4 April.
The initiative, developed in cooperation with FIFA and approved by The International Football Association Board (IFAB), is designed to encourage attacking play and improve the flow of matches by redefining how offside decisions are judged.
The move follows discussions at IFAB’s 140th Annual General Meeting, where football lawmakers endorsed a series of measures aimed at speeding up the game and reducing time-wasting, while also reviewing ongoing trials involving offside technology and interpretations.
At the centre of the trial is a shift in how attackers are judged in relation to defenders. Under the proposed “daylight” interpretation, a player will be considered onside if any part of their body that can legally score a goal is level with or behind the second-to-last defender. Offside will only be called if there is a visible gap, referred to as “daylight”, between the attacker and the defender, meaning the attacker must be completely beyond the defensive line to be penalised.
The concept, strongly supported by FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger, is intended to restore an advantage to attacking players while reducing marginal and often controversial offside calls.
“This is an important pilot,” Wenger said, emphasising that testing the rule in a professional competition would provide valuable data on its impact on clarity, tempo and attacking play. He added that FIFA would closely analyse the outcomes of the trial phase.
In parallel with the law change, the CPL will also introduce Football Video Support (FVS), a streamlined and more cost-effective alternative to the traditional video assistant referee (VAR) system. Unlike VAR, FVS does not involve dedicated video officials constantly reviewing play. Instead, it places greater responsibility on team staff.
Under the system, each head coach will be allowed a limited number of challenges per match to request a review of key decisions, including goals, penalties, red cards and cases of mistaken identity. Coaches must signal a review request immediately after an incident by handing a card to the fourth official, ensuring minimal disruption and compliance with the Laws of the Game.
Additionally, every goal will still undergo a mandatory check by the fourth official for any attacking infringements in the build-up.
While FVS is not intended to replace VAR, it provides referees with an additional layer of support while maintaining a faster and less intrusive review process.
The CPL’s adoption of both the daylight offside rule and FVS marks one of the most comprehensive experimental phases in modern football officiating, with global stakeholders expected to monitor the results closely as the sport continues to explore ways to enhance entertainment and fairness.
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay / chiraphat
