Arsne Wenger's controversial plan to radically change the offside rule has taken a major step forward. The former Arsenal manager has been pushing for a system that benefits attackers, and his proposed 'daylight' law will now be officially trialled in the Canadian Premier League. This marks a significant moment in the ongoing debate over VAR and microscopic offside margins. Wenger's vision for a new offside law Wengers long-standing mission to revolutionise the offside law has taken a massive step toward becoming a reality. The legendary former Arsenal manager, who now serves as FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development, has seen his radical proposal officially approved for a competitive trial, according to The Mirror. After years of lobbying since joining the global governing body in November 2019, the 76-year-olds vision will finally be put to the test. This landmark trial is scheduled to begin this April in the Canadian Premier League (CPL). The move marks a significant victory for Wenger, who has remained steadfast in his belief that the current application of offside technology is harming the spectacle of the game. He is a strong proponent of the 'daylight' rule, which aims to shift the advantage back to the attacking players. By doing so, the Frenchman ultimately hopes to see a significant increase in goalscoring and a reduction in the intense frustration caused by marginal video assistant referee (VAR) interventions. Frustrations with VAR and semi-automated technology Under the proposed changes, an attacker would only be considered offside if there is clear space, or "daylight," between them and the last defender. This acts as a direct challenge to the current system, driven by semi-automated offside technology (SAOT), where players are frequently penalised for microscopic margins. Currently, if a shoulder or toe is deemed to be even a millimetre ahead of the opposition, the goal is ruthlessly chalked off. Wenger believes the soul of the game has been diluted by these incredibly tight decisions. Furthermore, these marginal calls often take several minutes for officials to verify, with VAR frequently taking around five minutes to rule on offside decisions at the highest level. He has consistently lobbied for football to go back in time and stop using technology to draw digital lines, preferring a system where offside only occurs if there is a visible gap separating the attacker and the defender. Explaining the rationale behind the daylight rule Detailing the specific reasoning behind his ambitious proposal, Wenger highlighted historical precedents and the negative impact of modern technology on the striker's traditional advantage. He pointed out that the current setup often leaves players and fans entirely exasperated. Explaining his proposal, Wenger said: "It was in 1990 after the World Cup in Italy when there were no goals scored. We decided that there is no offside any more when you are on the same line of the defender." The former Arsenal boss further clarified how his new system would restore the benefit of the doubt to the attacking team. Wenger added: "In case of doubt, the doubt benefits the striker. That means when there's a fraction, the striker did get the advantage. With VAR this advantage disappeared and for many people it's frustrating. That's why I proposed that as long as any part of your body is on the same line as the defender, you're not offside." A perfect trial environment in Canada despite UEFA rejection Despite finally getting the green light for a trial, the proposed "Wenger Rule" has certainly not been met with universal acclaim across the footballing world. His radical idea has not proved popular at the International Football Association Board (Ifab), where football's lawmakers have deemed the overhaul too drastic. Furthermore, the concept has already been formally rejected by European football's governing body, UEFA. Wenger acknowledged this process, stating: "We are experimenting with it now. In one year, the decision will be made, by the IFAB, not by me." However, Canada has been identified as the absolute perfect environment for this experiment. The 'daylight' rule has only previously been trialled in youth tournaments, making the CPL its most high-profile guinea pig. It is deemed to be at the perfect level: away from the glaring European spotlight, yet professional enough to provide genuine insights. Interestingly, the Canadian Premier League does not currently use VAR, meaning the trial will rely purely on on-field officials.

Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi led the Ranji Trophy with 60 wickets, drawing BCCI selectors' attention for potential inclusion in India's Test team.

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ISLAMABAD (AP) The Pakistan Cricket Board has reportedly fined players around $18,000 each after the team failed to qualify for Twenty20 World Cup semifinals.PCB officials have clearly told the players that enough pampering has been done from now on, financial benefits will only come with performance, the Express Tribune reported Tuesday.According to the report, the PCB decided to fine the players after Pakistan lost a group-stage match to archrival India on Feb. 15. However, after the team qualified for the Super Eight stage the players were told the fine could be waived if Pakistan reached the semifinals.Pakistan needed to beat co-host Sri Lanka by 65 runs in the last group match to qualify for final four ahead of New Zealand, but instead it narrowly scraped to a five-run win.The report said PCB officials told the playing group that if they accepted rewards for good performances, they must also pay penalties for poor ones.The fines reportedly included at least one outstanding performer Sahibzada Farhan who broke India great Virat Kohlis record for most runs in a T20 World Cup and finished the tournament with 383 runs, featuring two centuries and two half centuries.The sport's national governing body did not respond to a request for comment.It was the fourth successive major ICC tournament where Pakistan has missed the semifinals. Pakistan also hasnt beaten India in a major event since 2022.Soon after losing the last year's Asia Cup final to India, the PCB briefly suspended permission for players participating in T20 leagues around the world but later allowed the players to compete in tournaments like Australia's Big Bash.Last year, the PCB abolished category A in its list of 30 centrally contracted players, and demoted both Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam in category B.___AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

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United are set to appoint a long-term boss in the summer after Carrick took over from Ruben Amorim as interim manager earlier this year, and the former midfielder has put his name in the running.

Rod Thornley, who spent 19 years working as a physiotherapist at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, has branded Roy Keane a "hypocrite" and a "bully" in a scathing response to the former midfielder's criticism of football physios.Speaking on The Busby Way podcast, the 47-year-old hit back at Keane's comments made on Gary Neville's The Overlap programme in June 2024, where the Irish ex-captain launched an attack on massage therapists at football clubs.Thornley, who departed Old Trafford in 2019, believes the 54-year-old's outburst was deliberately aimed at him following a personal falling out between the pair.While acknowledging Keane was "very funny and really intelligent," Thornley added: "I witnessed him bully people many a time."TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour SayDuring his Overlap appearance, Keane accused club physios of becoming "cocky," controlling dressing room music, appearing on the pitch after victories, and attempting to purchase players' vehicles at reduced prices.Thornley firmly rejected these allegations, dismissing them as "bulls**t" designed to cause him harm.On the car-buying accusation, he pointed out a glaring inconsistency in Keane's position: "He went on about masseuses and buying players' cars. "He sold his car to the caretaker at Man United. So like, I can't buy one off a player, but you can sell it to a member of staff."The former physio also denied ever requesting a Premier League medal or having any involvement with dressing room music selections.Thornley revealed the aftermath of Keane's televised comments had a severe impact on his wellbeing, stating he suffered significant online harassment as a result.LATEST SPORTS NEWS:Cristiano Ronaldo 'leaves Middle East in middle of the night on private jet' amid escalating conflictRio Ferdinand issues family update as 'scared and frightened' Man Utd hero remains locked down in DubaiBoris Becker makes feelings clear on cheating scandal while first wife was giving birth in hospital"All the things he said were just bullst, just aimed trying to hurt me," he said."I then got abused online massively and it affected me mentally. It just was f*ing horrible."The former United staff member is convinced the attack was calculated to publicly humiliate him, describing it as characteristic behaviour from the former Ireland captain."It's typical him bullying someone. That's what Roy Keane's about a lot of the times," Thornley stated on the podcast.Thornley also took aim at what he perceives as double standards from the former United captain regarding his daughter Caragh's appearance on The Overlap to promote her breakfast cereal brand.The 47-year-old suggested this kind of promotional activity would have provoked fury from Keane in his playing days."He'd have snapped 20 years ago if someone was doing something like that, he's a hypocrite," Thornley said.Keane's original rant on the programme included complaints about physios wearing headphones "as if they were players" when disembarking from team buses, attending free bar events with friends, and collecting players' boots, which he described as "scavengers in the dressing room."Keane left United under a cloud in 2005 after winning 17 major trophies with the club. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter