Limb-tracking technology will be trialled during Chelsea’s Club World Cup semi-final against Al Hilal.
FIFA are experimenting with the tech during the tournament in Abu Dhabi in a bid to see if it can improve offside decisions in the future, with a possible view to using it at this winter’s World Cup in Qatar, while it could arrived in the Premier League by the start of the 2023/24 season.
It was already tested during the Arab Cup in 2021, with the Club World Cup becoming the latest event to try out the semi-automated offside system.
A dedicated camera system is installed under the roof of the stadium to capture the movement of the players and the ball.
It then makes a three-dimensional animated skeleton of each player to gain more precise views of incidents such as offside.
FIFA says entire matches can be watched as a virtual animation “with only a few seconds’ delay.”
The technology allows games to be analysed from the point of view of a specific player on the pitch.
The ability to watch replays from any angle will greater accuracy offside VAR decisions. While the technology could have a wider-reaching impact on gaming and the ways fans watch matches in the future, it’s impact on decision-making could be huge.
Johannes Holzmüller, FIFA’s Director of Football Technology & Innovation, said: “We strongly believe that access to this new data source can positively impact the game by optimising decision-making processes and increasing objectivity. However, we are only at the beginning of this development journey and possible use cases need to be tested thoroughly to assess the capabilities with a view to eventual implementation.”
