PUT YOUR FLAG DOWN LINESMAN!
AUTOMATED offside technology will be used at the World Cup in Qatar this winter, FIFA has announced.
FIFA estimates it will help to cut decision- making time on offsides from an average of 70 seconds using current video review methods down to between 20 and 25 seconds.
Crucially, FIFA intends to show spectators in the stadium and viewers at home a 3D illustration of the decision after it has been made, most likely at the next break in play after the incident.
Pierluigi Collina, boss of the world refs’ committee, hopes the system will be as “praised” and accepted as goal- line technology has become, with a similar margin for error.
He said the technology was now accurate “to a few millimetres”.
He was keen to insist that the on- field referee, and the video assistant, were still vital in validating decisions, and at pains to manage expectations on the speed of the new system.
“I’ve heard a lot about ‘ robot referees’. I understand sometimes this is very good for headlines, but this is not the case,” the Italian said.
“The officials are still involved in decision- making, as the technology gives an answer only when a player is in an offside position.
“I heard people say it could take five seconds to get the offside decision. Certainly, we cannot get an answer within four or five seconds.
“We will be faster, we will be more accurate.”
The system relies on 12 cameras, all 100 per cent synchronised.
Optical tracking data looks at 29 points on each player, covering their limbs, plus the position of the ball, 50 times per second.
The World Cup ball houses a sensor which transmits data to the video operations room 500 times per second.
This technology combines to track the limbs of each player and also the precise ‘ kick point’ in real time using artificial intelligence.
When an offside is detected by the system, an alert is relayed to the lead VAR who manually validated the kick point and the offside line.
The referee can still use the monitors at the side of the pitch to check other issues.