The English Premier League is on the brink of an essential technological leap in its officiating system. As the world’s most-watched football league enters its sixth season with Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, a major upgrade is on the horizon that might finally address many of the criticisms that have plagued the system since its introduction in 2019.
The answer to this is the Semi-Automatic Offside Technology (SAOT), developed by Genius Sports. This AI-powered system will make use of 28 computer vision cameras installed at every Premier League ground, capturing an incredible 10,000 surface data points for each player and the ball.
This level of precision is expected to deliver VAR verdicts within seconds, potentially reducing the average waiting time for decisions to around 30 seconds – a major improvement from the previous season’s average of 64 seconds.
The new system aims to tackle several issues that have frustrated fans, players, and managers alike. Last season saw numerous controversial incidents, including a 5-minute and 37-second delay to disallow a West Ham goal against Aston Villa and high-profile errors such as the failure to identify an offside in a Brentford goal against Arsenal. The Premier League’s chief football officer, Tony Scholes, acknowledged that these delays were “ruining matches for fans,” prompting this technological overhaul.
In addition to SAOT, the Premier League has introduced a six-point plan to improve VAR, spearheaded by referees’ chief Howard Webb and Tony Scholes. Key aspects of this plan include:
- Defining the VAR intervention threshold
- Reducing delays
- Enhancing the fan experience
- Improving VAR training and consistency
- Increasing transparency
- Developing a superior education and communications plan
One noteworthy change is the introduction of a ‘Referee’s Call’ approach, similar to cricket’s ‘Umpire’s Call’, which aims to reaffirm a higher bar for intervention. The league is also committed to showing more replays of key incidents on big screens inside stadiums and has launched a new Premier League Match Centre account on X to provide near-live explanations of VAR decisions.
Though these changes sound promising, it’s worth noting that the new system won’t be operational until after the international break next month, as time is needed to install the necessary equipment in all stadiums. Additionally, Hawk-Eye will continue to operate goal-line technology for at least one more season.
The Premier League’s move towards this advanced officiating system will hopefully maintain its status as the best league in the world. With some games often described as feeling like a “World Cup final” and multiple teams competing for the title with small margins, the importance of fair and correct decisions cannot be overstated.
