The Canadian Premier League will become the first professional league in the world to trial a significant change to the game.

At its 140th Annual General Meeting on Saturday, the International Football Association Board approved Arsène Wenger's 'daylight' offside rule for a test run in the CPL throughout the 2026 season.

"As part of our ongoing engagement with FIFA, we will trial a modified offside interpretation during the 2026 Canadian Premier League season," reads a statement from the league. "Innovation is a core value of the League and these discussions reflect a shared interest in the continued evolution of the game."

The league indicated that further details would be announced at a later date.

The proposed trial was first raised in January, when a Canadian Premier League spokesperson confirmed the possibility for the upcoming season.

What's the 'daylight' offside rule?

Under the new rule, offside would only be given if the attacking player's entire body is ahead of the last defender, rather than the slightest body part being in an advanced position.

The proposed change has drawn criticism from around the globe, with many arguing that defending would become a far more difficult task and that it would push teams towards a more defensive style of play. Others contend that the rule hands attackers too great an advantage.

Canadian Premier League clubs face a challenging year ahead, as they will also be competing in the Canadian Championship — a competition that will not be adopting the new offside rule. As a result, all eight clubs will have to train for both interpretations.

Arsène Wenger's plans to modify the rule had previously been rejected outright by UEFA, but have now been accepted for trial after the CPL came forward to volunteer as the testing ground.