The Premier League is in talks to introduce semi-automated offside technology amid ongoing controversy surrounding the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. After over four years of VAR use, calls for reform or scrapping the system have escalated, leading football’s lawmakers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), to initiate consultations for potential changes.
Clubs are reportedly increasingly confident that the Premier League could ratify semi-automated offside for the next season, a technology already employed in Serie A, UEFA competitions, and FIFA World Cups. Despite resistance to a fully automated system, there is a growing expectation that the introduction of semi-automated offside could address some criticisms faced by managers, fans, and players.
Managers have united in condemning controversial VAR decisions, prompting the League Managers’ Association to call for changes. IFAB, responsible for setting rules followed by national bodies like the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), has confirmed consultations are underway. Talks involve representatives from UEFA and continental confederations, with the Premier League expected to join discussions soon.
Formal recommendations are anticipated to be presented to IFAB by March, but any proposed changes are unlikely to be implemented for the next season, given the historical practice of conducting trials before amending Laws of the Game. The Premier League’s input may include lobbying for live VAR audio, as suggested by Howard Webb, the head of PGMOL.
Despite the Premier League rejecting certain technologies this summer, there is growing confidence that clubs might vote to bring in automated offsides ahead of the next season. PGMOL faces additional calls from managers for referees to be consistently paired with the same VAR and for clarification on the threshold for overturning “clear and obvious” errors.
While some managers express dissatisfaction with VAR, concerns persist about potential fines for speaking out. West Ham United’s David Moyes highlighted a lack of response from officials and concerns about unequal focus on top clubs in VAR-related discussions.
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