The semi-automatic offside detection is used for the first time in the Champions League. The technology is intended to speed up checks of offside positions.
Semi-automatic offside detection will be used for the first time in the group stage of the Champions League. The technology was already used in the Supercup between Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Thats how it works:
- With artificial intelligence and ten to twelve cameras under the stadium roof, up to 29 points on the skeleton of each player on the pitch are monitored 50 times per second, and of course the ball.
- The data is transmitted to the video assistant. According to the world governing body FIFA, which played a key role in the development, the calculated offside line and the time at which the ball was passed are “available in near real time”. An offside line no longer has to be created – this saves time. And that’s a great purpose of the technology, because the duration of the checks is a frequently mentioned criticism of the video assistant.
- However, the video assistant still has to clarify with the referee whether the offside position is punishable – for example when asking whether the position was passive or whether the ball came from the opponent – hence the word “semi-automatic”.
- In addition, the moment the ball is released should be determined more precisely than before.
Goals: Improve game flow, reduce contradictions
“This innovative system will allow VAR teams to determine offside situations faster and more accurately, improving game flow and reducing the inconsistency of decisions.”UEFA chief referee Roberto Rosetti said in a statement.
According to UEFA, a total of 188 tests have been carried out since 2020, including all matches of the Champions League, the knockout stages of the women’s Champions League and the entire finals of the women’s European Championship last season. In addition, there were the finals of the Europa League and the Europa Conference League.
Offside detection soon in the Bundesliga?
It is unclear whether and when the semi-automatic offside detection will be used in the Bundesliga. “If the technology works perfectly, I don’t think you can close your eyes to it”, said Jochen Drees, Head of Video Assistants and Technologies at the new DFB Schiri GmbH. Drees named the 2023/24 season as the time for a possible introduction, “Maybe a bit later, because it’s also a question of costs”.
FIFA had pushed ahead with the development of the system and announced it would be used for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Offside detection initially only in the Champions League
“The system is ready for use at official matches and will be implemented at every Champions League venue”, confirmed Rosetti. The use of semi-automatic offside detection in the men’s Europa League and Europa Conference League and in women’s competitions is not yet planned.
The video assistant was used in the 2021/22 season in the men’s Champions League and Europa League. In the Europa Conference League, it was used from the semi-finals, and UEFA said it would be used in other rounds of the 2022/23 season. In the women’s Champions League, the VAR 2021/22 was used from the quarter-finals.
Referee Daniel Siebert looks at the VAR monitor during a Champions League game
Goal-line technology is also not yet available in all games in the Europa League and Conference League. According to UEFA regulations, it can be used if a certified system is available in the respective stadium. In the DFB Cup, video assistants and goal-line technology are generally used from the round of 16.
| contest | VAR | GLT | SAOT |
|---|---|---|---|
| WM | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Champions League | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Europe League | Yes | part | no |
| conference league | no | part | no |
| Bundesliga | Yes | Yes | no |
| DFB Cup | part | part | no |
VAR = Video Assistant Referee (video assistant), GLT= Goal-line technology (goal-line technology), SAOT = Semi-automated offside technology (semi-automatic offside detection)