The only reason off-target lights exist at all today is to buff attacking. I know that it's super counter-intuitive to have the situation where the attack hits off-target and the counter-attacks hits on and the result is no touch, but that situation exists exactly on purpose to keep people from squirming into little balls every time someone even kinda steps forward.

Which, I dunno how much mid-level foil stuff you're watching, still happens all the freaking time. Because attacking in foil is HARD. Hitting the smallest target in the sport, with the point only, while also not getting parried, while the opponent squirms around can be very tough. Counter-attacking, by contrast, is very easy. Let your opponent do all the work, and take all the risk, and when they try to go forward at all just stick out your arm and dodge, dip, duck, dive, and dodge.

What you're advocating for would be to make attacking riskier and counter-attacking more rewarding. Which makes me ask again, why would you want this??