ARSENE WENGER listed four changes he wants to make to the rules of football – including to corners, throw-ins and offsides.
The former Arsenal boss, 70, left his role in North London after 22 years in 2018.
Arsene Wenger has proposed a list of rule changes to the laws of football including over throw-ins in the defending halfCredit: Getty – Pool
Last year he took on his position with Fifa as the Chief Head of Global Football Development.
And part of that post means helping in the process of adapting the laws of the game.
Speaking to L’Equipe via Get French Football News, Wenger reiterated his hope of changing the offside rule.
The Frenchman wants to give attackers more of an advantage with forwards considered onside if any part of the body they can score with is level with the last defender.
He also wants to shake up out-swinging corners, free-kicks and throws to help the attacking teams.
Thankfully for Tony Pulis, this time he is not hoping to axe the long throws Stoke optimised for years against Arsenal.
Wenger said: “For the moment, you are offside if a part of your body that you can score with sits ahead of the body of a defender.
“I would like it to be that there is no offside so long as a (single) body part which a player can score with is in line with the defender.
Out-swinging corners will be allowed to go over the goal line and back into play under Wenger’s new rulesCredit: AP:Associated Press
Strikers would only need to have any goalscoring part of their body level with the defender to be deemed onsideCredit: Sky Sports
“This could be too much of an advantage for an attacker, because that obliges the defenders to play higher up.
“We are also considering other things: a corner that goes out of play and comes back in could be made valid, this would create new goalscoring opportunities.
“There is also the option of quickly playing a free-kick to yourself.
“I would also like to change the throw-in rule: five minutes before the end, a throw-in for you should be an advantage, but in these situations you are facing ten outfield players in play, whilst you only have nine.
“Stats show that in eight out of ten of those throw-in situations, you lose the ball.
“In your half of the pitch, you should have the possibility to take a kick instead.”
One rule that has already changed in recent years is the ability for defenders to receive a goal kick from inside the penalty box – rather than wait for the ball to exit before touching it.
And Wenger reckons this adjustment has been a genuine success as more teams play out from the back, starting with the goalkeeper.
Wenger took on his role as Fifa’s Chief Head of Global Football Development last year Credit: Getty – Contributor
He added: “I think that the new rule that allows you to play in the box from the start of play within 5.5m has profoundly changed play. I have to admit that I did not see it coming. This has consequences.
“The real playmaker now is the goalkeeper. And instead of looking to play as quickly as possible in the opposition half, you are looking to create space in your own box.
“This has created dangerous situations because teams press very hard, so well that they leave a lot of space.
“And this rule, which was innocent at the start, has profoundly turned the game upside down.”
VAR football control experts show how the virtual offside line is placed on the field of play
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
