The semi-automatic offside system facilitates the referees’ work on the field and in the VAR room. Several examples of the system’s functionality have been seen at the World Cup.
For the first time, a so-called semi-automatic offside system is being used in the current World Cup. For TV viewers, the system is shown as animated video clips in possible offside situations under VAR review.
The purpose of the new system is to facilitate the investigation of offside situations. In the past, a single offside situation may have been circulated for several minutes with the help of VAR. With new technology, certainty about the situation can be obtained in seconds.
Another important thing is that the system recognizes the limbs of the players that are relevant for offside. In the current offside rule, the offside situation is interpreted from the body parts of the players that can score a goal.
The semi-automatic offside technology is based on 12 tracking cameras that update game situation data 500 times per second. These are not the same as TV cameras, which are otherwise used in VAR decisions and whose use has generated a lot of criticism.
Several examples of the system’s functionality have been seen at the World Cup. In the opening group match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia Lautaro Martinez managed to reach the side of the offside by shoulder length.
In the struggle between Croatia and Belgium, the ball would have been taken to the spot, but in the situation before the foul Dejan Lovren was offside.
Ghana received a penalty kick in the final round of the first group. VAR investigated a possible offside in the situation, but this time the shoulder measurement was the attacker’s ie Andre Ayew’s on the side of.
The most recent and perhaps the most illustrative demonstration of the functionality of the new system was seen in Japan’s goal in the quarterfinals against Croatia. Shoko Tanaguchi stayed on the right side of the offside line by no more than two centimeters.
VAR has been the most talked about phenomenon in international football in recent years. In the VAR era, referees allow the game to continue even in seemingly obvious offside situations, because they know that the situation will be checked separately. According to the municipality, this is problematic.
– There are unnecessary situations where attacking and defending players make long full-speed runs. It’s an unnecessary burden, especially in the most obvious situations, says Kunnas.
Unnecessary full-speed performances expose you to injuries. This is especially emphasized during the follow-up matches. A perfect example of the situations highlighted by Kunnas was seen on Independence Day in the follow-up match between Morocco and Spain. Walid Cheddira raced at full speed behind the Spanish line, but was clearly offside. The assistant referee raised his flag only when the situation was over.
Kunnas hopes for a solution to the problem, which would enable quicker offside flags with the help of VAR. At least not yet, the semi-automatic offside system has not been the perfect remedy for this problem, because the information about a possible offside still passes from person to person, i.e. from VAR judge to referee.
In terms of gaming, Kunnas sees a positive side in the new technology compared to the previous one.
– The defending team can keep their line high when they can trust that an offside is an offside. You don’t have to think about whether the judge can see or not.
The semi-automatic offside system has already been in use in the Champions League in the fall. For the first time, the system was used in the Uefa Super Cup played in Helsinki in August.