It was announced that during the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, which kicked off on November 21, semi-automated offside technology would be used to assist video match officials and on-field officials in making faster, more accurate, and more reproducible offside decisions at a world stage where all eyes from all around the globe are centered. 

FIFA has been at the cutting edge of technology in the game for the past three years. In The Vision 2020-23, FIFA President Gianni Infantino stated that FIFA would harness the full potential of technology in football and further enhance VAR following the successful use of the VAR technology at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. FIFA has spent the last couple of years improving the VAR system, including semi-automated offside technology. This has been completed under strict collaboration with Adidas and various partners, most notably, the Working group for innovation Excellence and technology providers. 

This new technology tracks the ball and up to 29 data points of each player 50 times per second, calculating their exact position on the pitch using 12 dedicated tracking cameras mounted underneath the stadium roof. More specifically, all limbs and extremities are included in the 29 data points collected for making offside calls.

An example where human limbs were detected for an offside call was in the recent match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia. After Lionel Messi opened the account for Argentina with a calmly taken penalty, the lead was seemingly doubled by another striker Lautaro Martinez a few moments later, as he calmly netted a goal past the Saudi keeper. However, referees later ruled the goal offside, thus cutting short Martinez's celebration. In the check by VAR, it was found that Martinez's arm had crossed the offside line quite marginally, and hence the goal was ruled out. In this case, the semi-automated VAR technology significantly influenced the match's outcome. 

Semi-automated VAR technology is an essential addition to the game of soccer, reinforcing the agenda of fairness that is vital in competitive sports. Moreover, human limitations are no longer an issue thanks to the cutting-edge technology incorporated into the new system. The next few weeks of the world cup will be an exhilarating experience as we see, as fans, the amalgamation of technology and soccer. 

Derek Kim 강남포스트 학생기자  webmaster@ignnews.kr

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