Osimhen, Others Set to Profit from New FIFA Offside Rule 

Nigeria’s goal merchant, Victor Osimhen, and other top goal scorers in the round leather game are set to profit the change in the off-side rule. 

The World football ruling body, FIFA, in a move that could change the landscape of football, has given the green light to a new offside rule that could have significant implications for strikers like Napoli’s Osimhen. 

The contentious rule itself was introduced in 1883 when Football Association (FA), for the first time, formalised football rules, the offside was constructed to deter players from always lurking near opposition goal to look for scoring opportunities.  

And with FIFA, known for its willingness to embrace changes in the sport, has introduced various advancements in recent years, such as VAR and revised rules for handball and other plays. 

It was former Arsenal Manager, Arsene Wenger, currently FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, has been in the vanguard of change in the rule and now the soccer body has now given the proposal a thought.  

The latest addition to FIFA’s arsenal of rules aims to enhance the accuracy of offside decisions while also optimizing the time taken by referees and their assistants to confirm an offside position. 

Under the existing rule, a player is penalised for being in an offside position if any part of their body extends beyond the last defender, even by a few millimetres towards the goal. 

Super Eagles’ forward, Osimhen was a victim of current rule when Nigeria’s second goal against Ghana Black Stars was overruled in the ill-fated World Cup final play-off match in Abuja because the striker was fraction millimetres away from the last defender. 

However, the new rule introduces a pivotal change. To be deemed offside, an attacker’s entire body must be positioned ahead of the defender, rather than just a few millimetres. 

According to Direct TV Sports, FIFA will commence testing this new offside law starting this year, initially implementing it in Sweden. 

The European nation has confirmed its adoption of the rule in the men’s under-21 and women’s under-19 leagues. 

Italy and the Netherlands will follow suit, as FIFA analyses the matches in which the new rule is applied and fine-tunes the details before a global rollout. It is not clear yet when Serie A will adopt the new rule.  

Osimhen claimed the top spot on the Serie A goal-scorers’ chart last season with an impressive tally of 26 goals to become the first African to achieve this feat. 

His goals were instrumental in propelling Napoli to their first Scudetto title in 33 years. 

However, the 24-year-old forward also ranked among the players caught offside most frequently during the 2022/2023 season, placing second only to Italian striker Francesco Caputo. 

Osimhen’s style of play often sees him positioned just beyond the last defender, resulting in 32 instances of being caught offside in Serie A last term. Many of those were close calls. 

His knack for playing on the shoulder of the last defender could now be better rewarded with the revised interpretation of offside, granting him greater opportunities to excel.