The Premier League is set to introduce semi-automatic offside technology (SAOT) from the next season, after the clubs unanimously agreed on the decision in a shareholders’ meeting on Thursday.
“The new system will be used for the first time in the Premier League next season, and it is anticipated the technology will be ready to be introduced after one of the autumn international breaks,” the league said in a statement.
The SAOT was previously used in the FIFA World Cup 2022 and most recently in the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, with the modification helping in making offside calls more accurate and quicker with the help of technology.
“Semi-automated offside technology is an evolution of the VAR systems that have been implemented across the world,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino had said.
ALSO READ | Premier League 2023-24: Burnley’s Vincent Kompany gets touchline ban for protesting decision in Chelsea draw
“This technology is the culmination of three years of dedicated research and testing to provide the very best for the teams, players and fans who will be heading to Qatar later this year, and FIFA is proud of this work, as we look forward to the world seeing the benefits of semi-automated offside technology at the FIFA World Cup 2022,” he added.
The technology has been used in UEFA competitions before, including the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League. In the Conference League final, it proved to crucial when it disallowed Fiorentina’s first goal as Luka Jovic was caught offside.
The Premier League has seen multiple instances of “human error” in refereeing recently, with the most notable one being Luis Diaz’s disallowed goal for Liverpool against Tottenham Hotspur, a match that ended as a 2-1 win for Spurs.
Comments
SHARE