Premier League ‘decide AGAINST introducing semi-automated offside technology next season’

The Premier League has decided not to introduce the semi-automatic VAR technology successfully used at the Qatar World Cup, but will be introducing additional cameras on the ground, according to reports.

Mail Sport reported in April that the organization is considering introducing the technology (SOAT), in which AI technology tracks players’ limbs to see if they are offside.

A warning is then sent to the VAR, where the technology can determine within half a second whether part of the player was offside.

SOAT was used successfully during Wednesday night’s Europa Conference League final and played a part in ruling out Fiorentina’s effort just before the half-time whistle.

But instead, the organization will not compete for use in England’s top flight, despite Spain’s LaLiga acceptance for next season.

Instead, top clubs will introduce four additional cameras for more VAR angles

From the mirrorthe recommendation did not appear on the agenda of the Premier League’s annual general meeting, where all 20 clubs in the league meet in mid-June.

Chief executives in the organization’s clubs would believe the technology may be aging too quickly to make a difference.

An innovation that aims to bring more clarity to controversial VAR calls next season is the addition of four additional cameras on Premier League grounds.

The club hierarchies agreed with the PGMOL that a wider range of angles would improve the technology on offer, following a number of divisive calls during the 2022-23 campaign.

Two decisions involving Liverpool saw goals disallowed from sides due to a lack of appropriate angles to assess offside calls.

The first was in Arsenal’s 3-2 win against the Reds in October, where Bukayo Saka’s opening goal was conceded despite the England star being offside – confirmed only by camera angles unavailable to the Stockley Park team at the time.

The second saw Liverpool take advantage of Wolves’ late winner being disallowed in their FA Cup encounter after Matheus Nunes strayed into a VAR ‘blind spot’ and was wrongly ruled offside by the team on the pitch.

If the Premier League confirms the four extra cameras for next season – which requires 14 of the 20 clubs to vote for the decision – there is a belief that fewer VAR calls are likely to be contested.

This season, only two of the offside decisions made by VAR have been reversed as incorrect.

Ivan Toney’s equalizer against Arsenal at the Emirates was allowed to stand after VAR failed to see Christian Norgaard setting up his striker offside.

It later transpired that Lee Mason, who had been in charge of the calls on the day, had failed to draw offside lines on the footage.

Brighton’s Pervis Estupinan’s goal against Crystal Palace was wrongly disallowed for offside

Mason left the PGMOL by mutual consent shortly afterwards and is no longer active in the Premier League.

The second decision came on the same weekend, when Brighton were denied a goal at Crystal Palace after Pervis Estupinan’s opener was disallowed.

Brighton received another apology from the PGMOL after they went off without a penalty at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in early April.

The decisions left Brighton and Arsenal missing points, and although Arsenal later accepted the PGMOL’s apology, Mikel Arteta said he would only be satisfied “if they give the two points back”.