Todays news of the introduction of semi-automatic offside technology (SAOT) in the Premier League is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. The promise of quicker, more accurate offside decisions is a welcome development for a system that has often been criticised for its delays and inconsistencies.
The Premier League was blighted regularly by lengthy delays for VAR checks last season, with officials taking 5min 37sec to disallow a West Ham goal against Aston Villa in March. The average VAR referral took 64sec, resulting in the average game length extending to almost 102min.
However, while the technology itself holds great potential, it’s essential to remember that VAR is still operated by humans. The implementation of SAOT should not be seen as a silver bullet that will eradicate all VAR-related issues. Communication between VAR officials and on-field referees remains crucial, and errors in judgment will undoubtedly continue to occur. The debate still rages about broadcasting conversations between officials to help fans get a greater appreciation of the decisions made and the impartiality of any system.
While the technology has been successfully tested in the Champions League and the World Cup, its implementation in the Premier League won’t be complete until after the upcoming international break.
Ultimately, the success of VAR, including with the new SAOT, depends on how it is used. If implemented wisely, it can enhance the game by reducing clear and obvious errors. But if overused or misused, it risks disrupting the flow of matches and frustrating fans.
Worse thing that’s ever happened to football
Well said that man, But now football is a business can not see how it can be got rid of, every body will be up in court shouting the odds how there team was wronged after watching the replays.
tom
Technology in some sports is just horrible. I used to watch NRL in New Zealand which was great until referees were rendered unable to make any sort of decision without referring to upstairs. It became a farce.
Tbh i don’t think anybody cares. We are ok with tech deciding offside. It’s like hawkeye in tennis or ball over the goal-line. That’s ok. It’s the confusion over fouls that is messed up. Free-kick, yellow or red. To para-phrase Shakespeare, Handball or not handball, that is the question. I think most of us can accept that if tech can tell us, a players boot is a cm ahead of the defender, it’s offside. Painful but we accept it. But seeing Manure commit the same foul/or not as we did, the same day, the same way, but VAR comes out with totally different outcomes, makes us wonder whether this tech works at all. Tbf it needs sorting and the offside rule is the least of it’s problems.