Semi Automated Offside Technology: How Does It Work During The World Cup?

Technology provides an offside automated alert video match official teams.
3D animation enhance communications to in stadium fans and television viewers.
Previous FIFA tournaments already experienced the technology

World cup tournaments and FIFA plays very important role in bringing all nations together on one platform through different games. Therefore, the home country always try to use advanced technologies to avoid any kind of mishaps.

FIFA has announced that it will use Semi-Automated Offside Technology at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar starting from 21 November. The technological tool will support officials to make the decision, quicker, more accurate and more reproducible.

This year, VAR was once again used to help referees during the tournament. This year in Qatar, during the world cup the referees in the control room used another tool at their disposal to assist them in making decisions in the Middle East. However, the use of intelligent video assistant technology has become very common in the Champions League. Hence, the use of the technology has already been the center of some controversy at the tournament. It played a vital role in the three Argentina goals against Saudi Arabia. Not only this, but it helped rule out Ecuador’s goal against Qatar inside inside four minutes.

Semi-Automated Offside Technology

For the first time, FIFA approved “limb tracking technology” to assist referees in making accurate offside calls during the World Cup. Hence, the technology has undergone several tries over the past few years. Although, this is its debut in the prestigious tournament.

How Does Semi-Automated Offside Technology Work?

FIFA has taken many initiatives this year, FIFA has installed 12 cameras in each of the stadiums which track the ball during the 90 minutes. The technology works on data points on each of the player. Whereas, the sensor inside the ball is use to detect the chart whether a player is on or off.

Moreover, the data is sent to the control rooms 500 times per second. The control room is informed when a player thinks to be in an offside position.

However, it has become easier to make a decision, before the VAR officials communicate with the referee. First they check the decision manually to make sure that the player is definitely offside.

Once the decision has taken place, a 3D graphic of the incident is shown to fans in stadium and at home. According to FIFA, the call will take only longer than 25 seconds. However, the average VAR wait time to make an Offside decisions, if their are multiple elements at play.