This is how LaLiga’s semi-automatic offside technology works

Many doubts arose as a result of the disallowed goal Robert Lewandowski due to the millimeter offside in the action with Nayef Aguerd in it Real Sociedad-Barça. In fact, there are those who think that it could be the San Sebastian player, and according to the offside technology, who came first and, therefore, points to an error in the application of the semi-automatic offside released this season. in First Division.

This assessment caused many complaints to FC Barcelona in semi-automatic offside technology and which the degree is for Hawk Eye for the next four seasons. From this 2024-2025 campaign to 2027-28. Currently in the First Division and from the 2025-26 campaign it will also apply to the Second. Its award of specifications in January of this year, as stated in its resolution of RFEFthis is because it is the only company that can “prove that it has FIFA validation and, in addition, prove the experience of its use in official competitions” as required by the specifications themselves.

How does semi-automatic offside work? SAOT works thanks to 10 or 12 cameras located on the roof of the stadium and it captures the movement of all players and the ball. These are cameras independent of broadcast television. For this, It takes 29 points from football players up to 50 times per second to calculate their exact position on the field.

Thanks to this technology, the time to determine whether there is an offside or not is reduced. The average is usually 25 seconds, although it can be overcome. In it SAOT (acronym in English for semi-automatic offside) the referees in the VAR room only need to define the exact frame, which coincides with the first contact with the ball when making a pass, so that the tool can directly plot the line of attacker and defender. Besides, The tool generates 3D images to recreate, based on data collected by 12 camerasthe play and show it to the audience.

Semi-automatic offside technology began testing in 2021 by FIFA in Africa Cup and on Club World Cup celebrated that year. The first major national team competitions where it was tested were in Qatar World Cup 2022. In the case of UEFA; The first tournament in which it was used was in 2022 European Super Cupwhich was awarded by Real Madrid to Eintracht Frankfurt. This is the previous step in the implementation Champions League in the 2022/23 season and then on Europe and Conference League. Oh Hawk Eye (Hawkeye) is the only one currently licensed for use in both FIFA as in UEFA. And that is why this is the technology of our League.