The Premier League announced that semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) would be introduced from the 2024/25 season, with it coming into play around September or October.
In recent years, offside decisions related to goals have been reviewed by VAR officials but there have been complaints about the time taken for these checks, the lack of transparency for fans in the stadium, and errors in decision-making.
A notable incident occurred early in the 2023/24 season in Liverpool’s game at Tottenham Hotspur, where a legitimate goal by Luis Diaz was disallowed due to a miscommunication among the officials.
Previously, the Hawk-Eye system in use involved a gridline or crosshair approach, applying calibrated cameras around the pitch to determine offside positions. Starting from the 2024/25 season, this will be replaced by SAOT, which is currently used in the UEFA Champions League and major international tournaments.
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The Premier League’s official statement read:
“At a Premier League Shareholders’ meeting today, clubs unanimously agreed to the introduction of Semi-Automated Offside Technology.
“The new system will debut in the Premier League next season, with expectations that it will be ready for use after one of the Autumn international breaks.
“This technology will provide quicker and more consistent placement of the virtual offside line using optical player tracking. It will also produce high-quality broadcast graphics to enhance the experience for both in-stadium and broadcast viewers.”
Semi-automated offsides in the Premier League: When will it be used?
Originally, the SAOT system was expected to be rolled out in the Premier League early in the 2024/25 season, but there have been continued delays.
So why the delay? It’s largely because the company implementing the tech needs time to conduct sufficient tests of its reliability once the necessary cameras have been installed in top-flight grounds (which also takes time).
While extensive trials and analysis have already been conducted, SAOT won’t be operational until the Premier League feels comfortable that it is 100% accurate.
“It’s a step forward for the Premier League.”@ahmedNBC, @robbiemustoe and Robbie Earle weigh in on the news that Semi-Automated Offside Technology will be introduced next season. pic.twitter.com/hHuzp5Jrou
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) April 13, 2024
A high-profile incident in November 2024 brought into question the accuracy of semi-automated offside, and led the Premier League to delay the implementation of the technology. Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona was controversially judged by the semi-automated system to have been offside, disallowing his goal against Real Sociedad in an eventual 1-0 defeat.
A closer inspection of the replay review, compared to the semi-automated offside output, shows that the system may have confused various body parts of the individuals as Lewandowski tussled with a defender.
Since this, the Premier League has not given a hard timeline for the system’s implementation. Premier League CEO Tony Scholes told the Sporting News and other U.S. media on a call in early February that the Premier League hopes to have the technology in place for match use by the start of the 2025/26 season, and potentially sooner, but more testing is needed. The league is conducting offline trials during EPL matches throughout the 2024/25 season, and will do so until they feel comfortable it is ready to be a fully reliable asset.
How will semi-automated offsides be used in the Premier League?
The tech is designed to remove the need for VAR officials to draw grid lines on still images in order to decide tight offside calls. The hope is that this both speeds up the process of goal reviews and drastically reduces the risk of human error.
Different versions of SAOT are used, but the general process is for special cameras to track several points on players’ bodies. With the help of a chip embedded in the matchball, it can then be possible to generate 3D images using computers to show whether attacking players are offside or not. This will help referees to make fair and correct decisions in the event of a close call without relying on those painstaking VAR grid lines.
How much time will it save?
It is anticipated that the use of SAOT could reduce decision-making time by approximately 30 seconds per incident. As the technology provides instant results, assistant referees can be informed of offsides during live play, allowing them to raise their flags immediately if necessary.
While the specific system may vary, a version of SAOT was used at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where a chip was embedded inside the match ball. The average time for offside decisions during that tournament was 25 seconds.
That same technology is already in Serie A and will be introduced in La Liga from the 2024/25 season. UEFA also used the chip-in-ball version for Euro 2024.
