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• BBC
• Tue Nov 11 2025

The offside rule was a widely-debated topic, with fans wanting to either tweak the law, or get rid of it completely. Former Premier League referee Anthony Taylor said "scrapping offside might be the answer" and added: "One of the best tournaments I refereed in was a prison officer tournament and we had no offside... and we had so many goals it was unbelievable."

Another frustration for supporters is around 'delaying the flag' - where officials are told to keep their flag down if they felt there was an immediate goalscoring opportunity.

What the fans said:

Matt: Scrap the offside flag going up 20 minutes after someone is offside. Needlessly wasting time and play continuing could result in injuries. Just throw the flag up when they're off.

Sal: I would change the offside rule, where there has to be "daylight" between the last defender and attacker, in order for a claim of offside to be legitimate.

Charlie: I would remove offside completely. Hockey successfully removed offside many years ago and I think it would see more goals which is what fans want to see.

Chris: I would like the offside law changed, so you can only be offside beyond the 18-yard line. This would spread out the play.

What Chris Foy said: "Assistant refereeing is an art form and they are encouraged to keep the flag down in clear attacking situations. But I do understand that sometimes it can be frustrating.

"With semi-automated technology, I believe we have an accurate judgement of offside."

What Dale Johnson said: "'Daylight offside' has been a topic of discussion ever since it was suggested by Arsene Wenger in 2020.

"It has not made it to full trials because there are serious doubts about its impact on the tactical approach to a game. Giving more advantage to the attacker doesn't necessarily mean more goals, it could lead to more defensive play. I'd be very surprised if this ever happens."