The Premier League should finally introduce a semi-automated offside technology for the elite matches, from April 12.
The decision comes after a long period of non-living tests in the League and its initial use in English football during the fifth round of the FA Cup in February.
Semi-automated technology is designed to simplify the decision-making process for tight offside calls, because it automates the key aspects of the decision, helping the referee of the video assistant (VAR) in the process.
According to the Premier League, it “improves the speed, efficiency and consistency of off-game decision-making”.
Originally introduced during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the system has since been used in Serie A, the Liga and the Champions League.
Manchester City’s home match against Crystal Palace will be the first Premier League match to present the technology.
This system aims to reduce human subjectivity by replacing certain official decisions with automated technology.
In the current state of things, when an objective is noted following a situation of offside, Var officials must assess three critical factors: the exact moment of the ball has been played, the positioning and angle of the defender’s body at this time and the same details for the attacker player.
Breaking: The Premier League will present semi-automated offside technology on Saturday April 12 🚨 pic.twitter.com/lxgrm0zkuo
– Sky Sports News (@SkysportsNews) April 1, 2025
With the new system, these three determinations will be automated.
Specialized cameras have been installed under the roof of the 20 Premier League stadiums to follow several crucial factors for offside decisions.
These cameras monitor the movement of the ball and capture 10,000 “mesh data” on each player, making it possible to determine precisely if an attacker player was beyond the last defender when the ball was played.
Artificial intelligence oversees the entire process, by analyzing the movement of bullets and players to determine the offside positions.
Var officials then examine the release of the system to confirm the precision before relaying the decision to the referees on the field, which inform the players.
In addition, a 3D animated replay generated by the AI will be broadcast on television programs and stadium screens to provide a clear visual representation of the decision for fans.
