KEIR RADNEDGE in DOHA —- A “semi-automated” system for assessing offside is in line to be introduced in time for the World Cup finals here in Qatar in November and December.

Today’s annual meeting of the law-making International Football Association Board gave the green light for further trials of a data-based system to reduce – if not eliminate – the traditional angst of players, coaches and fans.

Referees’ committee chair Pierluigi Collina would not be drawn on a date for formal approval but the rabbit is out of the technological hat. Expectation levels have been raised almost beyond the point of no return.

Collina, the Italian former World Cup Final referee, said: “I’m very confident we can go ahead with this. We want to achieve accuracy, quicker decisions, also more accepted decisions. We have seen in matches where the semi-automated offside was implemented that these objectives were achieved.

“It uses the same process as goal-line technology which is well accepted by the football community. We are confident that the same reaction can be given to semi-automated offside.”

FIFA president Infantino said: “It looked very good and promising at the last Club World Cup and we are continuing testing and our experts are looking at that  so a decision could be taken in time for the World Cup.”

Data gathering

The system works with data gathered by 12 cameras noting data points on 29 limbs of every player. This data is processed 50 times per second, can generate 2D and 3D imagery, and feeds into the established VAR system.

VAR officials must judge whether any player had passive or active status before informing the referee of the analysis. IFAB hopes this will both improve the accuracy of decisions and reduce the ‘dead time’ of a VAR offside check.

Infantino, who had been chairing the first IFAB meeting held in Asia, is a proponent of proven technological assistance. He had been in his role for only two years when VAR was activated at the World Cup finals for the first time in Russia in 2018.

IFAB is comprised of the Football Associations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales plus FIFA which has four votes. A three-quarters majority of six is needed to approve alterations to the Laws of the Game. In practice a consensus approach means decisions are considered unanimous.

Substitutes, squad sizes

Other issues considered by IFAB included the permitted number of substitutes, squad sizes, concussion substitutes and a cost-effective ‘VAR-lite’ for small federations.

In May 2020 IFAB permitted the use of up to five substitutes per team to “protect player welfare during the global pandemic.” This provision was extended several times and will now be formally written into the Laws.

The current restriction of three substitution slots plus halftime was also confirmed. A maximum of 15 substitutes, instead of 12, can be named on a team sheet though the expected expansion of World Cup squads to 26 players has yet to confirmed.

Lower-level trials of concussion substitutes will continue along with further discussion about calculating playing time, body-cams for grassroots referee to deter aggression plus the tediously revived old nonsense of kick-ins rather than throw-ins.

The confirmed changes will come into effect on July 1.

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