FIFA confirmed on Friday that a semi-automated
offside system will be used at this year’s World Cup in Qatar.
The optical tracking system was trialled at the FIFA
Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi earlier this year and had also been tested at the
Arab Cup in Qatar last December.
“Semi-automated offside technology is an evolution of the VAR systems that have been implemented across the world,” the global body’s president Gianni Infantino said in a statement.
“This technology is the culmination of three years of dedicated research and testing to provide the very best for the teams, players and fans who will be heading to Qatar later this year, and FIFA is proud of this work, as we look forward to the world seeing the benefits of semi-automated offside technology at the World Cup 2022,” he added.