Canadian Premier League to trial new ‘daylight’ offside rule

By Canadian Press on March 31, 2026.

TORONTO — The Canadian Premier League is set to trial a new offside rule when its season kicks off this weekend.

Under the alternate rule, an attacking player will only be ruled offside if there is a gap — or “daylight” — between them and the second-to-last defender.

If at least one part of the attacker’s body that can be used to score — not their hands or arms — is in line with or behind the defender, they will be considered onside.

The league says in a statement that the trial aims to restore a greater attacking advantage and boost the flow of matches by introducing a “clearer visual threshold.”

The CPL is the first professional league to use the alternate offside rule on a trial basis and is working closely with FIFA on the project.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, now FIFA’s head of global football development, proposed the rule to the International Football Association Board in January.

“This is about positioning the Canadian Premier League at the forefront of innovation and contributing meaningfully to the global evolution of the game,” CPL commissioner James Johnson said in a release on Tuesday.

“By working closely with FIFA and IFAB, we are proud to play a role in shaping the future of football while continuing to build a competition that reflects our ambition here in Canada.”

The league also announced Tuesday that it is introducing “Football Video Support” this season, giving officials the ability to review “key incidents” using broadcast footage.

Each team will be limited to two video review requests per match, and all goals will be checked for “clear and obvious” offences that may have been committed by the attacking team.

The FVS system differs from the video assistant referee technology used in many leagues, including Major League Soccer, in that FVS, does not have dedicated video match officials and reviews are initiated by the team’s head coaches.

The CPL’s eighth season begins Saturday with Forge FC hosting reigning champions Atletico Ottawa in Hamilton.