FIFA are trialling a new limb-tracking technology that can automatically make offside decisions and communicate to VAR instantly. Chelsea will be the first Premier League club to trial the technology during the Club World Cup semi-final clash in Abu Dhabi.
In their FIFA Club World Cup semi-final clash in the UAE capital, the Blues are set to trial the new ‘robot referees’ technology being developed by FIFA, which can assist VAR in making offside decisions correctly and quickly. According to reports, the new limb-tracking technology can make offside decisions within half a second.
Special cameras attached to the roofs of stadiums create an animated skeleton of the players through 29 data points. The position of skeletal limb image will allow the technology to make accurate offside calls, and VAR officials will receive a near-instant alert on whether a particular player is offside. The proposed decision will then be validated and communicated to the on-field referee.
FIFA hopes to make use of the new technology during the high-profile World Cup in Qatar later this year. It has already been trialled successfully in the recent Arab Cup, which was also held in the same country.
Chelsea will experience the use of the technology for the first time next week as they are scheduled to play one of Al Hilal, Al Jazira and Pirae in the Club World Cup semi-final on February 9. The final or third-place playoff game will follow three days later.
“We strongly believe that access to this new data source can positively impact the game by optimising decision-making processes and increasing objectivity.
“However, we are only at the beginning of this development journey and possible use cases need to be tested thoroughly to assess the capabilities with a view to eventual implementation.”
said FIFA’s Director of Football Technology and Innovation, Johannes Holzmuller.
Football’s global governing body believes that the new ‘robot referees’ technology has the ‘potential to provide new insights for coaches, medical staff and fans.’
FIFA also hopes that coaches, analysts and backroom staff will benefit massively from the technology as it will allow them to ‘analyse the action from the point of view of a specific player on the pitch, scrutinise a match-changing moment from the perfect angle or get a bird’s eye view of the pitch.’
