With the world governing body of soccer, FIFA, intending to use video assistant referees at next year’s World Cup in Russia after the system was used at the Confederations Cup, it has made a call out to technology companies to assist with making this goal a reality.
VARs are off-pitch match officials who can use video footage to review decisions made by the lead referee during a soccer game and overturn quick-decision moments.
However, VARs to date have been marred with problems, with the biggest issues specifically surrounding the application of the offside rule. In Germany, the technology made its trialled debut in August, yet a key part of the technology was temporarily unavailable during a DFL-Supercup final between bitter rivals Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. The game included a contentious offside decision involving a goal scored by Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski, which was, post-match, adjudged to be the correct decision to let the goal stand.
At the time, Hellmut Krug, the DFB chief director in refereeing, said to DBF.de: “As the technology’s debut has shown, there will still be apprehension and discussion surrounding correct referee decisions.”
In FIFA’s callout, the organization itself made an admission that better technology is needed to deal with the issue of offsides during soccer games.
It detailed in a press announcement that: “It became clear how important it is to make correct decisions regarding the possible offside position of a player in one of the reviewable situations particularly when a goal is scored. Calibrated offside lines are requested to offer support in decision-making. FIFA calls for providers to offer a solution for a calibrated virtual offside line that will be made available to the VAR in order to assist with decision-making for possible offside positions.”
FIFA is seeking new providers that can “instantly” provide an offside line to the VAR that truly reflects the player’s position in relation to the goal line. This virtual line must also be able to be superimposed on broadcasting images from one main and several other angles. In addition to this, the new provider must have technology that can, using tracking data, be able to depict up to two lines to the VAR to give guidance on whether an offside position exists or not.
Sports technology companies that wish to take part can email FIFA directly, and the process involves full-scale testing of new technologies. If selected, these companies will be expected to present a detailed proposal for how their technology would be used for the upcoming World Cup. Once this process is complete, the winning bid will be announced in February 2018.