Fifa to use new high-tech for offside calls at World Cup

A referee checking the VAR and disallowing a goal by Brazil’s Internacional Estevao during the Copa Sudamericana football tournament. The new offside system promises faster and more accurate decisions than are currently made with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, even though the 2018 World Cup avoided major mistakes on offside calls. — AFP

GENEVA: Fifa will introduce new technology to improve offside calls at the World Cup in Qatar this year, using a limb-tracking camera system.

Fifa said on July 1 it is ready to launch semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) that uses multiple cameras to track player movements plus a sensor in the ball – and will quickly show 3D images on stadium screens at the tournament to help fans understand the referee’s call.