By Victor Kanayo
Reports from England indicates that the Premier League is set to introduce semi-automated offside technology starting Saturday, April 12, 2025 during match round 32.
This follows successful non-live testing in the Premier League and its live operation in this season’s FA Cup matches.
The new technology aims to streamline the offside decision-making process by automating key elements, providing valuable support to the video assistant referee (VAR) system.
By utilising optical player tracking, the semi-automated offside technology efficiently places the virtual offside line and generates virtual graphics, enhancing the experience for both in-stadium spectators and broadcast viewers.
Developed in collaboration with the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) and sports data and technology company Genius Sports, the Premier League’s semi-automated offside system maintains the integrity of the decision-making process while improving its speed, efficiency, and consistency.
The technology will be employed in close offside calls, either confirming or recommending a change to the referee’s on-field decision, mirroring the current VAR protocol.
Previously, VAR officials worked with replay operators to manually determine the “kick-point” and draw calibrated lines using multiple camera angles.
With the new system, the technology will suggest a “kick point” and automatically generate offside lines on the second rear-most defender and the relevant attacker, significantly reducing the time required to make offside determinations
