Guillaume Marion, Media365: published on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 8:50 pm. Under study for some time, the Wenger law will finally be implemented in the Canadian championship from April 4 onwards. Coaches will also have the right to appeal to another novelty.
Arsène Wenger has been hoping for an offside rule reform since 2020. The former legendary coach of Arsenal will see the law named after him take a new step. Indeed, FIFA announced today that the “Wenger law” will be tested in the Canadian championship starting from April 4. With this rule, an attacker must completely surpass the last defender to be considered offside, potentially changing the way defense is played in the future.
“This is an important pilot project. By testing this new interpretation in a professional competition, we can better understand its impact, particularly in terms of improving the clarity and fluidity of the game, and promoting offensive play,” said the Frenchman in a statement released by FIFA today.
Wenger said, “We are eager to analyze the results of this trial phase. We thank the Canadian Premier League and the Canadian Soccer Association for their support to FIFA in this pilot project and for making their tournament available.” Additionally, the “Wenger law” will not be the only new introduction this season in the Canadian championship. Coaches will also have the right to use the “Football Video Support” (FVS) to request a review of certain refereeing decisions.
“It is the responsibility of the two head coaches, who are authorized to make a limited number of review requests per match when they believe a clear error has been made in decisive actions such as a disallowed goal, a denied penalty, a straight red card, or a case of mistaken identity,” FIFA wrote in its statement. The Canadian Premier League will be closely watched this season because if the tests are successful, these new changes could be introduced elsewhere soon.
