FIFA planning the introduction of ROBOT referees for offside decisions in 2022

On Jul 3, 2020

FIFA planning to introduce ROBOT referees for offside decisions at 2022 World Cup… and they will take into account the length of different players’ FEET to cut out controversial calls

FIFA want to introduce new technology for offside decisions in the near future
The new ‘robots’ would have computer technology to generate offside ‘lines’
The system aims to reduce time to make decisions and cut out controversial calls
Length of players’ feet and passive players could be detected by new system

Published: 04:22 EDT, 3 July 2020 | Updated: 05:19 EDT, 3 July 2020

FIFA want to introduce the use of robots as assistant referees and plan to implement the new technology in time for the 2022 World Cup.

FIFA’s director of technology Johannes Holzmuller has outlined his plan for the new system which would see assistant referees replaced with computer technology which automatically generates offside lines.

If the lines were crossed an alarm would go off – like goalline technology – and the system would also be able to identify which body part was offside. It would even take into account the size of a player’s feet.

The first trial of the ‘robots’ has already taken place at December’s Club World Cup in Qatar, won by Liverpool.

FIFA’s planned robot assistant refs would create lines (above) automatically – rather than have someone looking at a screen – then an alarm would sound if a player was in an offside position

Football’s governing body want to introduce the new system in time for the 2022 World Cup

‘The idea behind the offside technique is to speed up the review of such game situations by the video assistant referee’ Holzmuller explained on German broadcaster ARD, ‘Basically, it is about the video assistant no longer creating the lines for offside questions to determine a possible offside position.

‘The principle is that the system creates the lines automatically and sounds an alarm if there is an offside position.

‘That saves time, so the video assistant’s review of game situations could be quicker when it comes to offside.’

The first trial of the ‘robot’ technology took place at last year’s Club World Cup in Qatar

VAR (Video Assistant Referee), FIFA’s most recent technological introduction, has found itself in the spotlight once again over the last few days after some lengthy and controversial decisions.

Tomas Soucek was denied a goal for West Ham against Chelsea after VAR deemed team-mate Michael Antonio’s head was offside after a review which took several minutes.

It would aim to cut out lengthy waits for offside decisions, as seen in West Ham vs Chelsea

Tomas Soucek’s opener was ruled out due to team-mate Michael Antonio’s head being offside

It is one of several instances where offside calls have been made by a matter of millimetres and football’s law-making body IFAB (International Football Association Board) has already given the green light for a 10cm ‘tolerance zone’…