By Mohamad Abadi | Staff Writer
A few years ago, VAR or video assistant referee was introduced into football to improve referee decision-making by allowing referees to review controversial decisions or fix mistakes after checking a slow-motion replay of an incident. However, it has yet to achieve its ultimate goal as controversy is still tormenting teams and their fans. Even though it has been often misused and mistakes are still present in almost every game; Statistically, VAR has led to a decrease in the amount of refereeing mistakes and to relatively fairer games. The main arguments against VAR has mostly been the misjudgment of whether a goal is offside or onside. This inspired FIFA to work on and promote a new technology to further improve this exciting game. This technology, called semi-automated VAR, is being tested for use in the upcoming 2022 FIFA world cup in Qatar.
The technology is based on ten to twelve cameras installed on the roof of the stadium that follows all the player movements by tracking 29 to 50 data points per second. This data is calculated and processed in real time using Artificial Intelligence, then it gets sent to the VAR referees so they can make a decision themselves. This type of technology is more efficient than referees drawing the lines by themselves because the AI calculations are more precise. Mark Bullingham, the CEO of the English FA, said, “Semi-autonomous [semi-automated] offside would be a real step forward. Everyone recognizes that the fan experience is negatively impacted by having to wait for the confirmation that a goal has been scored.” The integration of technology into sports is not just to improve decisions but also to enhance the viewer’s experience. Moreover, this technology will be similar to the goal line Hawk-eye technology, as it creates a 3D simulation of the situation so the viewer can understand why a particular decision is being made.
The semi-autonomous offside technology is still undergoing trial period with it being most recently used in the FIFA Club World Cup. However, domestic leagues are not expected to receive this technology any time before 2023. FIFA are hoping that eventually offside decisions will be fully made by autonomous technology.