Premier League clubs will not support the introduction of an automated offside system, such as the one used in the Champions League and the World Cup, write times.
Instead, there will be four additional cameras in the arenas to assist the VAR system, after several famous offside situations where players were not covered by the available camera angles.
One of those goals was Gabriel Martinelli’s opening goal for Arsenal against Liverpool, with the Brazilian just off camera. One match ended with the London team winning 3-2.
The automated system uses artificial intelligence and tracks movements to determine if a player is offside.
Now we are unlikely to see this in the Premier League before 2024/25 at the earliest.
Loved by UEFA and FIFA
In yesterday’s Europa League final between West Ham and Fiorentina, it was this system that ruled out Luka Jovic’s goal.
In FIFA and UEFA, they have to be impressed with the automation and how well it works.
At the same time, some sources believe that the system is not completely flawless.
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The Premier League system is called a semi-automatic system, where a message is sent to the video assistant referee, who then has to look at the situation.
There is still room for human error and there have been incidents where VAR lines have simply been set incorrectly.
There is a lot more in place
According to The Times, at least nine of the top 20 clubs already have basic Hawk-Eye infrastructure in place. Which provides a smooth transition to the semi-automated system.
When English clubs play in the Champions League, they must be used.
FIFA used a chip in an Adidas ball as part of the system during the World Cup in Qatar. For its part, UEFA is relying on cameras and tracking technology.
As president of the Referees Association, Howard Webb set to work on improving the popularity of the umpire. He will be following his other infiltration business closely.
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