When will semi-automated offside technology be introduced in the English Premier League?

The semi-automated offside technology is set to make its debut in the England's top flight - English Premier League. This system has been designed to make it easier for the referees to make correct judgments about close-offside side calls during the fixture.

The technology was initially implemented in elite-level football during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and has since been adopted in Serie A, La Liga, and the Champions League. It is designed to improve the speed, efficiency, and consistency of offside decision-making.

English Premier League to get its first Semi-automated offside technology match

The Semi-automated offside technology is going to be introduced in the English Premier League on 12th April during Manchester City's home clash against Crystal Palace.

The system is designed to remove the subjective nature of human decision-making made by officials during the course of the English Premier League fixtures.

Currently, when a player scores following a borderline offside scenario, the officials in the video assistant referee room are tasked with making three crucial determinations: the exact moment the ball was kicked, the position and angle of the defender's body at that moment, and the position and angle of the attacker's body. The semi-automated system will take all three key decisions.

A special type of camera, known as a Bespoke camera, is going to monitor a variety of key elements that are involved in making the decision. These cameras have been installed under the roof of all the twenty Premier League stadiums.

The cameras will precisely monitor the movement of the ball and capture data from 10,000 surface mesh points on the bodies of all 22 players. This allows for an automatic determination of whether an attacking player’s body was beyond the last defender at the exact moment the ball was played.

All three key points involved in decision-making will be managed by AI before an on-field decision is made on whether a player is onside or offside. VAR officials will carefully review the system to ensure it accurately assesses the three key points before finalizing their decision. Once confirmed, the on-field officials will communicate the outcome to the players.

To enhance the viewing experience, a 3D animation illustrating the decision, generated by AI will be displayed on television for the English Premier League fans.