Well wadda ya know?
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...e2d82955785eb7
FIFA is considering the most radical change to the offside law for a generation.
Discussions are taking place inside the world governing body that could have the law changed so that a player is offside only if there is “clear daylight” between them and the defending player.
If FIFA presses ahead, it would take the proposal to the International FA Board to ask for the system to be trialled and then secure a change to the laws of the game.
The “clear daylight” idea would mean a player was onside unless their whole body was in front of the defender with daylight between them — as it stands, an attacker can be judged offside by even their armpit being fractionally in front of the defender.
The arrival of video assistant referees, along with technology that is making rulings on players being millimetres offside, has prompted the talks to see whether attackers should now be given an extra advantage.
A source close to FIFA said: “This is being discussed internally at FIFA but there is not a final decision yet. It is our duty to keep thinking about the game.”
FIFA insiders feel that such a change could redress the balance in favour of attacking players.
The controversy over marginal offside calls by VARs reached a new level in the Premier League over the weekend when five goals were ruled out after players were judged to be fractionally ahead of the defender.
There have been 21 goals ruled out for offside by VARs in the Premier League this season, with six goals awarded after initial wrong decisions, so a negative balance of 15.
UEFA is pushing hard for VARs to not make such tight offside calls. It needs FIFA’s backing, however, and so far the world body has remained adamant that VARs should be used for all factual decisions, however marginal.
International FA Board secretary Lukas Brud said the protocol made clear that all VAR decisions should be taken only if they were clear and obvious, but that did not preclude marginal offsides.
He said: “It can be marginal if the video evidence clearly shows it.
“We will be communicating to all competitions that are using VAR some updates in the coming weeks, because we are observing some developments that are not particularly the way they should be.
“With VAR we see some things that are going in a direction that we may need to readjust.”
One of UEFA’s ideas is that the VAR protocol should be changed so that thicker lines are used when they are drawn by the Hawk-Eye operative to decide on offsides, with a clear gap between those lines.
So far, FIFA has not supported that suggestion, saying it would be wrong to allow flexibility on a black-and-white decision.
That is also why it may favour the “clear daylight” approach.
A similar idea has been floating around football for some time — it was even suggested by the former Premier League head of referees Philip Don at the start of the millennium as a rough guide for linesmen to be certain that a player was offside.
Graeme Souness, the former Liverpool and Rangers manager, proposed something similar at the weekend after being frustrated by the rash of disallowed goals.
He said on Sky Sports: “We’re in the entertainment business. What we’re doing is denying the people the enjoyment of goals.
“What we should do is say that if any part of an attacker is in an onside position they can’t be given offside.
“We cannot go on like this. There’s too much frustration going on.”
The idea has won some backing among Premier League clubs.
One chief executive said: “VAR as a label is getting an unfair press, it’s just applying the laws of the game … daylight between defender and attacker could work.”
The Times