This technique, according to FIFA, will take “a few seconds and implies that offside rulings can be determined faster and more precisely.” The data gathered by the cameras and ball will also be utilised to create automatic animations that will be shown on stadium screens and in TV broadcasts “to tell all spectators in the clearest possible way” about why the call was made.
It is the most recent example of a sport utilising automated technology to assist referees in making decisions. At the 2018 World Cup, FIFA implemented VAR, or video assistant referee, which allows referees to review decisions using sideline monitors.
Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, stated in a press statement that the new system would allow officials to make “faster and more accurate decisions,” but emphasised that humans, not “robots,” would still be in charge of the game.
