Following Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi’s injury during his team’s 2-2 draw with Leicester City on Sunday, fans are calling for an urgent rule change in the Premier League. The 27-year-old Nigeria international collided with the post in the 88th minute and was subsequently placed in an induced coma to undergo emergency surgery after rupturing an intestine.
Awoniyi underwent surgery on Monday night and remains hospitalised, with additional procedures scheduled for Wednesday. In a statement released Tuesday, Forest confirmed that he is “recovering well” after the initial operation (see the full statement below). However, many believe a controversial rule significantly contributed to the incident.
Anthony Elanga was in an offside position when he received the ball, but the assistant referee delayed raising the flag until after Awoniyi’s collision – a result of the forward’s desperate attempt to connect with the cross.
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Calls For Rule Change Grow Louder After Serious Awoniyi Injury
The offside rule has long been a lightning rod for criticism
When a clear goalscoring opportunity is likely, assistant referees are instructed to delay raising the offside flag until the phase of play has concluded. If a goal is scored, the decision can then be reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). This guideline, introduced ahead of the 2020/21 Premier League season, has since drawn criticism – not only for the time it can waste but also for the potential risk it poses to player safety.
While the approach allows VAR to make more precise judgments, it now appears to come at a significant cost. The recent incident has prompted immediate calls for the rule to be reverted to its previous form, with one X user voicing their frustration (see the full post and incident below):
“Awoniyi has had to be placed in a medical coma due to this injury. This could all have been avoided if the officials are allowed to flag clear offsides early and not play on. We all knew a serious injury was a matter of time, but PGMOL didn’t listen!”
“How many more serious injuries is it going to take to change this stupid rule? Does someone have to die?” another user asked, while a third remarked: “Hopefully the rule changes. Something like this was always gonna happen sooner rather than later.”
Meanwhile, a fourth added: “A player is now in intensive care because of that stupid rule. It was bad enough when Ben Godfrey broke his leg because of it, but now a player is in a potentially life-threatening situation.”
Fortunately, there are no indications that the 27-year-old’s condition is life-threatening. The induced coma is believed to be a measure to limit his movement and stabilise his heart rate. However, the intense reaction from the wider football community highlights just how unpopular the current offside rule has become, and raises serious concerns that future incidents may not have such a fortunate outcome.
