Updated semi-automated offside technology will be introduced at World Cup as FIFA promise quicker decisions
Published 03/06/2026 at 10:08 GMT+1
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FIFA has introduced an updated version of semi-automated offside technology for the 2026 World Cup that will allow assistant referees to flag more readily for close calls.
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The previous system, introduced at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, alerted officials when a player was more than 50cm offside.
But with the new technology, officials will be told if a player is more than 10cm offside, with the system sending an audio alert to their earpieces.
Previously, officials had to wait for the video assistant referee (VAR) to tell them an offside had taken place.
The implementation of a quick decision process should mean that assistant referees can raise their flags for offsides, rather than waiting for the play to run on and potential incidents to occur.
In May 2025, Nottingham Forest's Taiwo Awoniyi was placed in an induced coma after suffering an abdominal injury when he collided with a post, despite the incident occurring when he was in an offside position only for the assistant referee to not raise their flag until after the ball was dead.
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The incident was in line with officiating guidelines, with assistants told to keep their flag down until the passage of play had come to an end.
But under the new rules at this summer's tournament - held in the US, Canada and Mexico - play should be stopped much quicker to avoid similar episodes happening.
The technology, however, will not be able to register the closest offsides so the finest of margins will be decided by the officiating team.
There will also still be subjectivity involved, with the technology unable to interpret if a player has interfered without touching the ball.
According to the BBC though, FIFA said the new technology will "remove some of the frustration felt by supporters and players."
To make the new system as accurate as possible, FIFA have also announced they will take 3D avatars of every player at the World Cup.
All 1,248 players from all 48 teams will be digitally scanned to create their own AI avatar to allow for more accurate offside decisions from the semi-automated technology.
A new 'line of sight' angle has also been made available to the VAR to help them establish whether a player is interfering with the goalkeeper's line of sight.
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FIFA has also approved the use of technology which will help determine if the ball has gone out of bounds before a goal was scored.
The system will work much like goal line technology by creating a 3D animation of the ball and the lines of play to decide if play should be brought back.
The implementation of a chip in the ball will allow officials to decide which team touched the ball last and allow the VAR to determine if the awarding of a corner was the correct decision.
The technology should help clear up situations such as the one in the Premier League in February, when Aston Villa had a goal disallowed against Brentford for the ball being out of play, despite it being unclear if the ball had clearly left the field of play.
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