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Information reaching Kossyderrickent has it that The FA is keen on bringing in the semi-automated offside technology used at the Qatar World Cup after a series of high-profile VAR mistakes in the Premier League.
It is deemed to be more accurate than English football’s current system but “some insiders say it should not be regarded as foolproof,” writes the Times’ chief sports reporter, Martyn Ziegler.
“The Premier League will continue with non-live tests on the technology,” though.
FIFA’s semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) will not be coming to the Premier League anytime soon. The English top flight has reportedly rejected the chance to introduce the technology ahead of the 2023/24 season. This is despite the fact that a series of VAR-rated blunders plagued the league in recent years.
The technology quickly tracks players’ limbs to determine if they have strayed offside. VAR officials are then signaled by the technology to stop the game while the check is in process. Although traditional VAR reviews can take minutes to get a correct call, SAOT is significantly faster.
Despite the English top flight opting against its introduction, there will still be improvements next season.
The four new cameras at stadiums should eliminate errors similar to two that directly impacted Liverpool last campaign.
As Arsenal beat the Reds 3-2 last October, Bukayo Saka looked offside in the build-up to Gabriel Martinelli’s opening goal, but the VAR couldn’t check thoroughly as he was out of the cameras’ views.
SAOT was in place during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The technology was widely seen as a success at the tournament. UEFA competitions such as the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League also utilized SAOT throughout the 2022/23 season. The technology helped rightly rule out Fiorentina’s possible goal only seconds from the halftime whistle in the Conference League Final against West Ham.
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