Premier League clubs have unanimously approved the use of semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) for the 2024-25 season.
The English top fight will use the same cameras and software that UEFA uses in the men’s Champions League. That is slightly different from the technology which FIFA has used, where a match ball with a chip inside provides an array of data.
The Premier League confirmed in a statement that it believes the SAOT will be ready to use following one of the autumn international breaks. The league is already in talks with several companies about providing the technology the system uses.
The Premier League believes the use of SAOT will save around 31 seconds per decision. It hopes its introduction will bring an end to situations where play continues after a possible offside, because the assistant referees have been instructed to keep their flags down, before then being brought back some time later after an attack has ended.
Instead, the assistant referees will have a voice in their earpiece informing them of the semi-automated offside decision and can raise their flag immediately.
The existing manual framework for Video Assistant Referees (VAR) has attracted criticism this season, most notably for Luis Diaz’s incorrectly disallowed goal against Tottenham Hotspur in September. Though the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) — the organisation responsible for refereeing in England — admitted that was a “significant human error”, the time taken for offsides in general to be reviewed by VARs has also been criticised.
Amid that criticism, the Premier League has been monitoring the technology amid extensive behind-the-scenes testing and analysis before now deciding to approve its use for next season.
Since the implementation of VAR technology in the Premier League in 2019, offsides have been subject to a review process. That involves the VAR manually calibrating offside lines by using a freeze-frame of when the ball last touched an attacker in order to judge whether a player is offside.
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A Premier League statement read: “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 manual VAR system of crosshair placement will remain in use as a backup, particularly for situations when there are lots of players involved and it can be difficult for the SAOT system to get a fix on the relevant individuals.
The SAOT introduction was approved a Premier League shareholders’ meeting between the clubs in London on Thursday, following a presentation by PGMOL boss Howard Webb. Also discussed was the idea of in-stadium announcements to explain refereeing decisions, a measure PGMOL is keen to introduce.
How do semi-automated offsides work?
By Ed Mackey, explainer journalist
The on-field assistant referee is trusted with making the initial decision. However, they wait until the period of play has come to an end as an incorrect premature flag could cost a team a goalscoring opportunity.
The SAOT comes into operation in the instance when a goal has been scored or a potentially match-defining decision has been made (penalty or red card). It checks whether or not the goalscorer, or any players involved in the build-up, has strayed offside at any stage.
At the 2022 World Cup, the technology used 12 tracking cameras underneath the roof of the stadium to track the ball as well as up to 29 data points on each player. Those 29 data points include all limbs and body parts that can be used to legally play the ball.
An inertial measurement unit is placed inside the centre of the ball and it sends data to the video operation room 500 times per second which allows for accurate detection of when the ball has been kicked.
When a player receives the ball in an offside position, the technology provides an automatic alert to the officials in the video operation room. Before informing the on-field referee of the decision, the video match officials check that the kicking point and the automated offside line have been correctly recorded.
It is hoped that the entire process takes a matter of seconds rather than a few minutes.
What competitions has it been used in?
Mackey: As FIFA’s main goal was to have the SAOT in operation at the 2022 World Cup, they targeted the 2021 Club World for its trial period.
By that stage, it had already been used in the 2021 Arab Cup, an international tournament contested by nations in the Middle East and north Africa.
When the World Cup began in Qatar almost a year ago, European fans had already seen it in action as it was used throughout the 2022-23 Champions League campaign.
It was used to great effect at the 2022 World Cup and was retained for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, leading to many Premier League fans asking for it to be introduced to the English top flight.
Italy’s Serie A has used SAOT for the last 18 months.
Spain’s La Liga announced last October that it will introduce SAOT from the start of the 2024-25 season.
Why has the Premier League come under pressure to adopt the technology?
Mackey: Rarely a Premier League match is played without VAR being one of the key talking points.
The unrest around the use of the video technology reached a climax on September 30 when Diaz thought he had given Liverpool the lead at Tottenham .
Before that, there were concerns that VAR checks caused too much disruption, particularly those that checked tight offside decisions. So, when those at Stockley Park made the quick decision to agree with the on-field assistant to rule out Diaz’s opening goal, there was audible shock in the commentary box among broadcasters at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
A handful of replays of the goal showed that Diaz had seemingly timed his run behind the defence to perfection, and it transpired that he had. Soon after the game finished, PGMOL released a statement which admitted that a “significant human error” had occurred.
For many, that was the final straw for the SAOT to be introduced in the Premier League.
The Premier League had previously resisted calls to introduce the technology but has been a part of FIFA’s working group.
(Top photo: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
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