The English Premier League will implement artificial vision technology to assist referees.
The English league has decided to modernize offside decisions with a (semi) automatic update.
This new system promises to reform one of football’s most debated rules.
The offside law, which dates back to 1863, was created to prevent forwards from positioning themselves advantageously near the goal.
Currently, the rule only applies to attacking players who are in the opponent’s half of the field. Once they enter that area, their teammates can only pass the ball to them if they are behind at least two players from the opposing team.
Does that sound complicated? Let me explain it a bit more.
A player can be offside if any part of their body is beyond the defenders. Or perhaps only if there’s a clear gap between them. But at other times, it only counts if the attacker is “actively involved” in the play. Got it? Well, neither do I.
Referees have tried to improve the rule, but offside decisions continue to frustrate both players and fans.
The latest target of their frustration is VAR (video assistant referee). Created to review on-field decisions, this system introduced a second layer of control for offside calls. Unfortunately, it also brought more complications.
Decisions not only remained controversial, but they also became terribly slow. The Premier League was forced to seek a solution from scratch.
Today, they return with an innovative proposal: semi-automated offside technology (SAOT).
Automated offside
SAOT uses optical tracking to monitor players. If a player is offside, the software automatically draws lines on the footage to show their position. The referees then review this footage before making a final decision.
Attackers in the blue zone have entered an offside position. Credit: Genius Sports.
By combining automation with human oversight, the system could improve both the accuracy and speed of decisions. At least, that’s the idea.
The Premier League will introduce SAOT in the upcoming season, which begins on Friday. British company Genius Sports has been selected to develop the system.
Genius Sports will install artificial vision cameras in all Premier League stadiums. According to the company, the software can generate complete three-dimensional representations of players, the ball, and the offside zone in “a matter of seconds.” This will allow referees to make more precise decisions.
Tony Scholes, director of football at the Premier League, is confident that the system will improve the pace of the game. According to him, SAOT will enhance the experience for everyone involved, “including the fans.”
It’s an ambitious promise, but even the most advanced technology might struggle to deliver, as sometimes the only right decision is the one that benefits our team.
By: Nestor Castillo, ForAllTechNews Director