Chronicle Editor
PIERLUIGI Collina has welcomed new VAR technology as an “important” moment for football.
Fifa has confirmed it will have hi-tech semi-automatic offside decisions in place for the World Cup in Qatar.
The new-look technology will speed up decisions, use Artificial Intelligence software to track the players and a special sensor in the Adidas World Cup ball.
Former World Cup referee Collina, chairman of Fifa’s Referees Committee, said: “We will be faster, we will be more accurate and these are the objectives of the semi-automatic technology.”
Fifa has successfully trialled the technology and is now ready to take VAR to the next level with the idea of speeding up decisions from an average of 70 seconds to 25 seconds in matches.
The semi-automatic offsides will see:
â– A sensor placed in the Adidas World Cup ball which will provide data at 500 frames per second which is 10 times faster than current technology
â– 12 tracking cameras around the stadia
â– AI software will have 29 tracking points on every player to accurately show points of contact
â– VAR rooms at stadia will have the technology at hand and can double check each decision with the technology working within seconds
â– Animated images will be shown on big screens in stadiums to display each decision
The semi-automatic offsides were trialled at the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi last
February when Chelsea were crowned champions and clearly speeding up decisions is key because the Premier League has been plagued by delays and the controversial “toenail” offsides.
Collina believes the new system should bring a more accurate exact science to offsides and make them quicker and stop the frustrating delays. — The Mirror
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