The Premier League is set to introduce AI-based player tracking technology in the upcoming season to assist officials in making offside calls. This was unanimously agreed upon by England’s top-division clubs, with the new system expected to be launched in the first half of the season. The goal is to reduce the time it takes officials to reach their decisions by providing quicker and more consistent placement of the virtual offside line based on optical player tracking.
The technology will use semi-automated offside technology, similar to what was used at the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. However, unlike the World Cup, there will not be a sensor in the ball to track its acceleration. Instead, the Premier League system is expected to align more closely with the system used by UEFA in the Champions League. Details on the exact nature of the offside technology to be used will be announced once contracts are signed, following extensive testing and analysis conducted this season.
Italy’s Serie A already uses semi-automated offside technology where multiple cameras track player movements and record data points on relevant body parts for offside decisions. This data is processed using artificial intelligence to create a 3D offside line that is then reviewed by a team of VAR officials. On average, this system is expected to reduce the time taken for decisions by around 30 seconds, improving confidence in decision-making after recent high-profile mistakes. A manual backup system will be available in case of any failures in
