The Premier League plans to introduce semi-automatic offside technology from next season, with the aim of reducing the time taken for VAR decisions.
The system uses camera footage and tracking software to calculate a player's position at the moment of potential offside, replacing the need for VAR teams to do so. Tests have shown that this process reduces the average time for VAR decisions by 31 seconds.
At Thursday's Premier League general meeting, clubs unanimously voted to introduce the technology, with first use expected in the autumn, but not at the start of the season. The league had previously expressed reservations about adopting the technology, but it now has the full support of referee chief Howard Webb, who said he was “delighted” with the news.
Semi-automatic offside technology was used at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. This eliminates the need for VAR to manually add lines to camera images and produces graphics that can be displayed to fans in the stadium. Depending on the complexity of the assessment, he may require VAR to assess offside decisions even if a goal is scored.
Webb and refereeing body PGMOL are in talks to allow fans to watch footage examined on VAR monitors at the same time as referees. It is expected that a short message regarding the outcome of the VAR decision will be announced by stadium referees next season.
In a statement, the league said: “This technology allows us to more quickly and consistently place virtual offside lines based on optical player tracking, producing high-quality broadcast graphics to enhance the in-stadium and broadcast experience for supporters. “We will ensure that improvements are made.''
