FIFA introduces its ‘semi-automated offside technology’

The international soccer governing body announced that it would begin using “semi-automated offside technology” to determine whether a player is offside or not without requiring a lengthy review. For those who aren’t soccer experts, that rule states that a player attacking the opponent’s goal cannot be closer to the goal than both the ball and the opposing player who is second-closest.

In other words, you are offside if only the goalie stands between you and the goal while you are not in control of the ball. It’s the kind of thing that can frequently disrupt play and be difficult to spot, as it only takes a half-inch of someone’s knee to be closer to goal than their opponent for it to be declared offside. FIFA deploys 12 sophisticated tracking cameras around stadiums (as well as a sensor in the ball itself) to assess both player and ball locations.

The semi-automated offside technology workflow and connected ball technology have been successfully trialled at numerous test events and live FIFA tournaments, including the FIFA Arab Cup 2021TM and the FIFA Club World Cup 2021TM.

The MIT Sports Lab analysed and confirmed the data obtained during online and offline testing, with TRACK at Victoria University scientifically verifying the limb-tracking technology. A research team at ETH Zurich is providing more insights into the technological capabilities of such multi-camera tracking systems.

Even if you’re not a soccer fan, the potential benefits of this new method are evident. It not only slows down the games, but relying on human referees examining frame-by-frame film might result in rulings that are subjective to some.