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The upcoming winter FIFA World Cup in Qatar will see another new step taken. FIFA confirmed on Friday that a semi-automated offside tracking system will be used in the tournament in Qatar. The system will consist of special sensors in the ball that will send signals up to 500 times per second, allowing for precise detection of the moment of a pass or a shot. Additionally, there will be 12 special cameras installed on the roof of each stadium, capturing both the movement of the ball and the players. It is said that the cameras will track each player's body position in 29 points. If the system detects an offside, VAR referees will receive a signal and pass on the information to the on-field referees. Pierluigi Collina, the head of FIFA's referee department, emphasized that even though more and more technologies are emerging in football, they will not fully replace referees. "We are very excited about this innovation. It is ready for action. Lately, I have seen a lot of speculation about robot referees who could replace humans. I understand that such talk attracts people's attention, but it will certainly not happen. Both referees and their assistants will continue to actively participate in decision-making. This system will provide information on when a player is offside, but that in itself is not a rule violation. Referees will have to decide whether the player offside is impacting the game," commented P. Collina on the new system.
