Theunis Jansen van Rensburg·
SportTechnology

FIFA to test new offside-tracking tech at Arab Cup

When FIFA introduced the video assistant referee (VAR) there was a lot of pushback, but the technology has been widely accepted by football fans. At this year’s edition of the Arab Cup FIFA will test tech designed to help officials assess whether players are offside, marking the most important trial of the VAR system to date.

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According to reports, the semi-automated offside system collects up to 29 data points 50 times per second for each player. Between 10 and 12 cameras will be installed under the roof of each stadium. The system will use limb-tracking data to calculate the offside line at the moment the ball is played. If it detects an offside offence, it will alert a replay operator, who can review the incident almost in real-time.

“The replay operator then has the opportunity to show it immediately to the VAR,” Johannes Holzmüller, FIFA’s football technology and innovation director, said. “At the FIFA Arab Cup, the Assistant VAR, at a dedicated offside station, can immediately validate and confirm the information.” The VAR can then tell the match referee about the decision.

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“Technology is very important and useful in both the pre-match preparation and the decision-making process during matches,” FIFA’s chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina said. “In an offside incident, the decision is made after having analysed not only the players’ position but also, their involvement in the move. Technology – today or tomorrow – can draw a line but the assessment of an interference with play or with an opponent remains in the referee’s hands.”

The new system will assist in speeding up the game with less lengthy delays due to the ref needing to run to the VAR to review a decision. The plan is to introduce the technology at the 2022 World Cup if the system works well at the Arab Cup.