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Blackburn manager Mark Hughes has slammed the current offside law as "a mess."

Hughes is demanding changes, believing there is a grey area that is clouding the judgment of referees and linesmen. The Welshman is supported by Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez and Everton's David Moyes. Hughes was left angered at Robbie Fowler's 29th-minute winner on Sunday which was allowed to stand by assistant referee Barry Sygmuta.

Hughes said: "It's very difficult to know what the rule actually is, and how it stands. It's a mess. There's too much open to interpretation and no-one knows where they are. The rule needs clarifying because it's such a grey area."

He added; "Before FIFA got involved and started changing and adding little bits and pieces to the rule, it was very clear for everybody.

"Everybody knew if you strayed offside, you were clearly offside - irrespective of whether you were interfering, touching the ball or passing it into the back of the net.

"As it stands now, it is very difficult to know when a situation is offside, and on Sunday that really hurt us and changed the shape of the game."

The rule was changed last July following a meeting in London of the International Football Association Board. Benitez, despite earning a seventh successive victory courtesy of Sygmuta's interpretation, sided with Hughes even though he had not seen a replay of the incident.

Recounting his own experiences from this season, Benitez said: "They need to change the offside rule because all it is doing is creating problems for the referees.

"If a player is offside, then he is offside. If it's a goal-kick or a throw-in then it's not offside. But from the rest of the play, it should be offside, and that's it - finish. When we conceded a goal in a game against Newcastle, the linesman said he was waiting to see if the ball was going to [Shola] Ameobi or [Alan] Shearer, and it led to a goal.

"One week later, Sami Hyypia scored a goal and the referee said it was offside. The officials need to know exactly, then there would be no problems for them and we wouldn't need seven cameras to tell us."

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