An animated Collina gets everyone onside with SAOT test

February 10 – Pierluigi Collina, chairman of FIFA’s Referee Committee and FIFA’s Technology and Innovation, has emphasised that the referees and assistants on the field will still have the final decision, despite the advanced trials of the semi-automated offside technology system (SAOT).

Speaking at the Club World Cup in the UAE, Collina said: “We’re continuing a test to try to achieve the objective: to have more accurate decisions and also quicker decisions in offside incidents. I know that someone called it “robot offside”; it’s not.”

“The referees and the assistant referees are still responsible for the decision on the field of play. The technology only gives them valued support to make more accurate and quicker decisions, particularly when the offside incident is very tight and very difficult,” he continued.

The SAOT is an extension of the VAR system with the addition of 10 dedicated cameras, as well as several television broadcast cameras, set up in the stadium to track an extra 18 data points (29 in total) of each individual player, giving their position on the pitch.

The key value for the system is that the data gathering happens in in real time and so means decisions can be made on offside calls in seconds.

“We’re also tracking the limbs – we’re tracking the arms and the legs – and we know exactly where all those players are at every moment in the game,” said FIFA’s Head of Football Technology Sebastian Runge.

“We are tracking with 50 frames per second, so 50 times per second we know where the players are and we’re getting that information delivered to the system.”

An addition to the trial has been the use of 3-D animations that clearly illustrate when a player is on or offside.

“We’ve introduced an offside animation, which is not related to the decision-making process, but certainly, it offers a better understanding and a clearer view of the offside/onside decision” said Collina.

The animations are shared with TV and in-stadium screens to explain decisions in a clearer way as well as increase the spectator and TV viewing experience.

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