From past decades, the offside decisions have been among the most debated and controversial moments in football, often among the players, coaches, and fans. Despite the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) which helped reduce errors in the game, there is still some requirement for the improvement of decisions.
As the FIFA World Cup 2026 begins from the upcoming weeks, the sport's governing body has advanced another major step by putting its upgraded Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) to the ultimate test.
🚨 𝗡𝗘𝗪: FIFA is introducing a new offside technology for the 2026 World Cup.
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) June 3, 2026
· The system will alert assistant referees when a player is more than 10 cm offside, allowing them to raise the flag sooner instead of waiting for the play to finish.
· This should reduce… pic.twitter.com/Eg8A55UTOB
The introduction of SAOT in football world
In Qatar which significantly reduced the decision-making time, especially for offside decisions. The system utilized multiple tracking cameras positioned all around the stadium which is used to monitor player movements, along with a sensor placed inside the match ball which provided precised data of each seconds after the ball was at the field.
In this year's major tournament, FIFA is set to put an enhanced version of this technology, which includes more advanced AI technology and real-time tracking capabilities. The upgraded system will be able to identify potential offside situations within a fraction of seconds, allowing match officials to focus on validating decisions faster rather than manual multi-camera analyzation.
🚨 𝗡𝗘𝗪: FIFA is introducing a new offside technology for the 2026 World Cup.
— Soccer Central (@soccer_central1) June 3, 2026
· The system will alert assistant referees when a player is more than 10 cm offside, allowing them to raise the flag sooner instead of waiting for the play to finish. pic.twitter.com/uqjd6Iyp08
Also Read | Why FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums are changing their names
How the SOAT works?
Being an enhanced and upgraded model, the technology tracks all the on-field data points of every player multiple times along with their ball possession. It shows the resulted explanations of decisions, broadcasting for both stadium and television screens. The graphics with high-quality will allow supporters to see the decisions accurately for which a referee halts the ball. It will also reduce confusion and enhance trust of the spectators in the decision-making process by the on-field match officials.
As the world gears up for the FIFA World Cup across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, it will be the first time of a major event to host with 48 teams. It is also reliable on this upgraded offside system, which is expected to play a pivotal role in maintaining fairness and accuracy on football's biggest stage.
