Premier League clubs vote for major rule change with it set to be introduced next season
New tech already in use in other major competitions
PREMIER LEAGUE clubs have voted in the use of semi-automated offsides.
The new technology will be introduced next season.
However, it may not be ready across the board from the beginning of the campaign.
And that could see it brought in either in September or November.
The technology should help provide even more accuracy for offside calls.
Crucially, it should also speed up VAR decisions which will undoubtedly please fans, players and even broadcasters alike.
A Premier League statement said: “At a Premier League Shareholders’ meeting today, clubs unanimously agreed to the introduction of Semi-Automated Offside Technology.
“The new system will be used for the first time in the Premier League next season, and it is anticipated the technology will be ready to be introduced after one of the autumn international breaks.
“The technology will provide quicker and consistent placement of the virtual offside line, based on optical player tracking, and will produce high-quality broadcast graphics to ensure an enhanced in-stadium and broadcast experience for supporters.”
The semi-automated offsides were used at the 2022 World Cup and are already in operation for the Champions League as well as the Serie A in Italy.
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However, the Premier League voted against its introduction in England’s top flight last June.
But SunSport reported back in November that the semi-automated offsides would be brought in for the 2024-25 Premier League.
What are semi-automated offsides?
PREMIER LEAGUE clubs have voted in the use of semi-automated offsides from the 2024-25 season.
The technology tracks 29 different points on the body of every player.
Together with a chip in the football, the tech then can produce almost instantaneous decisions, even on the tightest of calls.
These are then visualised with computer-generated 3D images which clearly show the offence on a screen for fans watching the broadcast from home.
Referees on the pitch will need to step in and intervene if the offside call is subjective – ie the player in an offside position does not touch the ball.
Here’s how it works:
- Each ground will have up to 12 special cameras with limb-tracking technology.
- These will focus on 29 goal-scoring body parts from every player on the pitch and will record their position 50 times per second.
- During the World Cup in Qatar, the microchip in the ball sent back data points 500 times every second to determine the precise instant it was played by an attacker OR a defender
- That allowed the computer technology to alert the VAR that a player was in an offside position when the ball was played
- But all decisions were then checked to ensure the attacker was interfering with play
- The average time for an offside call in Qatar was cut to 25 seconds per incident
- In future, a 3D animation will “show” the decision to fans in the stadium and via broadcasters, and this will be available by the next stoppage in play after the decision.
The tech uses “limb-tracking” cameras to track players along with a chip in the football to get the right decisions.
Computer-generated 3D clips illustrate offside decisions, giving fans watching an immediate visual portrayal.
The tech only notifies the referees in the case of an offside if the player out of position touches the ball.
For subjective offside calls, such as an interfering attacker offside at a free-kick, the semi-automated offside technology can confirm if the player is on or not – then it is down to the match officials to determine their impact or lack of on the attacking phase.
