FIFA Rule Nearly Killed a Premier League Star

Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi lies in a hospital bed, after surgery. He is now recovering from a ruptured intestine after colliding with a goalpost during a Premier League match against Leicester City on Sunday. 

The 27-year-old striker, who underwent emergency abdominal surgery and was briefly in an induced coma, chased a cross from teammate Anthony Elanga, only for replays to show Elanga was clearly offside. Had the assistant referee raised the flag immediately, Awoniyi might not have risked his body for a play that never counted.

The Rule That Put Awoniyi in Danger

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) introduced the delayed offside flag protocol in the 2020-21 season to let tight calls be reviewed by VAR, ensuring valid goals aren’t wrongly disallowed. 

“This injury would never have happened if the flag went up.”
— Ola Aina, Nottingham Forest

Assistant referees must keep flags down during “clear attacking situations” unless the offside is indisputable, according to IFAB’s official rules. In Awoniyi’s case, the very obvious offside went unflagged, allowing a dangerous play to unfold.

Historical cases echo this concern:

• In March 2021, Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio suffered a head injury after colliding with teammate Conor Coady while chasing a play involving Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who was offside but not flagged until late, as reported by Sky Sports and Opta. 
• Manchester City’s John Stones and Ederson picked up injuries in 2024 from delayed offside calls, per The Guardian.

Related: Arsene Wenger Demands Radical Offside Rule Change by Next Year 

Critics argue the rule prioritizes referee caution over player safety. Former referee Keith Hackett told BBC Sport that delayed flags “expose players to injury” by prolonging unnecessary physical contests. Forest’s Ola Aina insisted Awoniyi’s injury “would never have happened” with an earlier flag, per BBC Sport.