Premier League to introduce semi-automated offside system for 2024-25 season

The Premier League will introduce a semi-automated system to adjudicate on tough offside decisions for the 2024-25 season. The league made the above announcement on Friday.

The purpose of this decision is to rule out any disputes over Video Assistant Referee (VAR) calls, as well as reduce the time required to make a decision. The semi-automated system returns results in around 30 seconds, while VAR calls can take several minutes, which is also frustrating for players and fans, who are often not aware of what is happening.

The semi-automatic technology was used at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and is already in use in Italy’s Serie A. It will also be introduced in Spain’s La Liga for the coming season.

“At today’s Premier League shareholders’ meeting, clubs unanimously agreed to the introduction of semi-automatic offside technology,” the Premier League said in a statement on Friday. “The new system will be used for the first time in the Premier League next season, and it is anticipated that the technology will be ready to be introduced after the autumn international break.”

“The technology will provide quick and consistent placement of the virtual offside line based on optical player tracking, and produce high-quality broadcast graphics to ensure an enhanced in-stadium and broadcast experience for supporters,” the league added.