Football has evolved dramatically in recent years, and FIFA is planning yet another major adjustment to eliminate the chance of human mistake in offside judgments.
Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s Head of Global Football Development, wants offside rulings to be fully computerized, taking the choice away from the assistant referee.
At a news conference in Paris, Wenger observed, “There are a lot of alternatives.” “I have to keep things under wraps, but refereeing will undergo a significant transformation.”
“Everything is under investigation.” [Technology] can even tell whether a five- or six-centimetre choice is onside or not.”
Offside restrictions continue to be a source of contention in sports, as seen recently in the Nations League final, when Kylian Mbappe scored the game-winning goal for France against Spain.
Even VAR hasn’t been able to fix the problem, with the Premier League currently experimenting with varying line widths in order to put a stop to the controversies and disputes.
By 2022, FIFA hopes to have a solution in place that will enable offside rulings to be made entirely mechanically. They will then test and approve the technology in 2022, with the possibility of it being used during the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
It’s worth noting, though, that updates are often authorized in March for deployment the following year, making 2023 the most probable year to see it in the game.