Why innovative Canadian league is trialling daylight offside rule
It was only last year that a bicycle kick was scored during a blizzard in the CPL final between Atletico Ottawa and Cavalry FC. It was dubbed the 'icicle kick' and gained more than one billion views across social media. "I think as a young league in a country that's developing the sport of football, it's important that we do get that visibility," said Cavalry defender Bradley Kamdem, who played in that frosty final.
But now the Canadian top flight will have a different set of eyes on it as it enters its eighth season. One of those especially invested in the league will be former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, now Fifa's chief of global football development, whose new 'daylight' offside rule is being trialled by the CPL. The rule itself is that there should be a complete gap between the attacker and the second-to-last opposition player.
Critics of this change have said it will give too big an advantage to the attacker. But how have people involved in the CPL viewed it? This is set to be a historic year for football in Canada.
The CPL continues to evolve and develop, with the first team from Quebec province, Supra du Quebec, debuting in the 2026 season. In continental competitions, four Canadian teams competed in the Concacaf Champions Cup for the first time - three from the CPL and Vancouver Whitecaps from America's Major League Soccer (MLS). Along with the club game, the country will co-host a men's World Cup for the first time, with the USA and Mexico.
And so, the introduction of this adapted offside rule only helps the CPL try to break further into football's mainstream discussion. The CPL's CEO James Johnson said: "It's a league that is still young, but it's maturing very quickly. "We like to do things that are different.