In this year’s World Cup, FIFA is utilising new artificial intelligence to assist referees in calling offsides.
Twelve cameras mounted to the stadium roof serve as the semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) system, which follows the ball and each player’s movements.
SAOT tracks and recognises players and the ball using artificial intelligence, calculating their whereabouts 50 times per second.
The official ball for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, Al Rihla, which means “the voyage” in Arabic, has a sensor attached that enables SAOT to compare the precise moment it was kicked with the position of the team’s last defender and the other team’s striker.
This level of accuracy is essential in close calls where referees struggle to swiftly signal offsides. On this, a goal or even the outcome of the entire game, can occasionally depend.
The video match officials are informed whenever SAOT finds an offside. The referee, who has the final say, is informed. The system is referred described as “semi-automated” as a result.
Soccer matches frequently employ video assistant referee (VAR) technology. They take substantially longer than SAOT to detect an offside—about 70 seconds. Officials had to determine the ideal kick time and mark the offside line without the aid of VAR technology. They only need to confirm the system-recommended offside with SAOT.
According to FIFA’s website, the new procedure “happens within a few seconds and implies that offside rulings can be determined faster and more correctly.”
If the referee agrees with SAOT’s recommendation, the system will produce a 3D cartoon of the offside broadcast to be shown to spectators on a sizable screen in the stadium.
According to FIFA, the SAOT system is currently “the most accurate offside support system accessible to video match officials” after three years of testing.
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