FIFA has confirmed it will utilise semi-automated VAR offside technology at the Qatar 2022 World Cup later this year, says head of refereeing Pierluigi Collina.
The process of launching progress in the VAR process of this year’s tournament has been ongoing for the past few months.
Following tests at the Arab Cup and Club World Cup, new procedures – which could reduce VAR decisions from 70 seconds to 25 seconds – will be launched in Gulf State in November.
Collina, who was the referee for the World Cup finals when she took over when Brazil defeated Germany in Korea / Japan in 2002, says now is the time to bring in semi-automated technology, which will improve decision-making.
“We have high hopes. It’s okay,” he said. “I learned about robots referees. I understand that this is very good in the articles, but it is not.
“Game officials are still involved in decision-making, semi-automated technology only provides feedback when a player is offside when playing football.
“Assessing the opponent’s interference and determining whether a handball or an error has occurred is up to the referee, our aim is for the referee to make the right decisions on the field.
“If something goes wrong, the referee may use technology to get a better look at what happened – but it will still be discussed.”
The semi-automated technology will use ball sensors, multi-track camera racks and 29 faster data points for players to help calculate exact location.
The Qatar 2022 World Cup opens on November 21, with Senegal facing the Netherlands and England competing against Iran before the hosts host the official opening match against Ecuador.
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