First time "Wenger's rule" on offside used, see how it looks in practice.

In the Canadian league match between Forge and Ottawa (2:0), two major innovations were tested for the first time in professional competition: a new offside rule known as the "Wenger rule" and a simplified video review system called FVS (Football Video Support). The home team Forge celebrated with goals from Brian Wright and Ben Paton, but the scoreline was overshadowed by events on the field. The most attention was drawn to a situation that best illustrates the essence of the new rule. An Ottawa attacker received the ball while part of his body was ahead of the last defender. As the play continued, he was fouled by the goalkeeper, and after reviewing the footage, the referee awarded a penalty. According to the old rules, this situation would have been deemed offside. However, the new rule introduces a key change: a player is only offside if their entire body is ahead of the second-to-last defender. In other words, any part of the body with which a goal can be scored must remain in line with the defense for the attacker to be in a legal position. In this specific instance, although the attacker’s head and shoulder were ahead of the opponent, his feet were in line, which was enough for the play to be considered legal and for the referee to award a penalty. This idea comes from legendary coach Arsène Wenger, who has long advocated for changes to the offside rule to reduce marginal decisions that cause frustration, while also increasing the number of goals and the attractiveness of the game. Additionally, the new FVS video assistance system was tested. Unlike the traditional VAR, this system gives coaches two "challenge" cards per match. If they suspect a wrong decision, the coach can request a review, after which the main referee personally reviews the footage on a monitor beside the field. These innovations represent an attempt to modernize football and bring it closer to the audience, with greater transparency and dynamism in the game. It remains to be seen whether FIFA and other organizations will adopt these changes in the future.