FIFA said on Friday that semi-automated offside technology will be used at this year’s World Cup, promising speedier and more accurate decisions.
Technology will be able to decide contested offside calls with a speed and accuracy that were unthinkable less than ten years ago, which can be considered an astonishing improvement in the game’s refereeing.
FIFA said the technology will go a long way toward reducing the number of ongoing Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decisions on marginal offside rulings and shorten the time needed to check using cameras placed strategically around the stadiums and a chip in the match ball.
The chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, Pierluigi Collina, stated during a news conference that “we have been working on a more consistent use of VAR, particularly with the line of intervention.”
“We are aware that checks or reviews can occasionally be excessively lengthy, particularly when it comes to offside.”
FIFA revealed the so-called SAOT as the solution, which will give the game a futuristic, space-age feel and allow viewers to see some 3D animation when the VAR judgments are communicated on a stadium’s huge screen.
The equipment was anticipated to be authorized for the World Cup in Qatar from November 21 to December 18 after having already undergone testing at two competitions over the previous seven months. It will be utilized throughout the tournament’s venues.
The ball is tracked by 12 specialized tracking cameras placed beneath the roof of the stadium, and each player’s location on the field is pinpointed using up to 29 data points collected up to 50 times per second. The 29 data points gathered include all limbs and extremities crucial for signaling offsides.
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