Football has been transforming in recent years with the introduction of various technological innovations. From VAR to virtual lines for analyzing millimetric plays, technology is increasingly present in on-field decisions. In Spain, the next step could be even more ambitious: the implementation of fully automatic offside. The idea was put forward by Javier Tebas, president of La Liga, who revealed that the Spanish competition is studying the introduction of this technology as early as next season. The statement came after the signing of the first collective agreement for refereeing activities in professional men's football. According to Tebas, the goal is to go beyond the current semi-automatic offside system, already used in several international competitions. "We are implementing it, we will see if it is ready for next year, the automatic offside. Now there is the semi-automatic, but I do not like the 'semi'," he stated. "It would involve placing a chip inside the ball, approved by FIFA, to detect the moment the ball is kicked. This requires a special camera system in the stadiums. It would be an automatic offside. The famous frames would not be necessary. We still need approval, to see the different brands of balls that exist in the leagues… coordination is needed. But it is one of the technological objectives we are proposing for next season," he explained. If it goes ahead, the initiative could place the Spanish league at the forefront of technological innovation in European football, noting that semi-automatic offside is already used in some countries.
From VAR In Spain remains central to this story.
From VAR In Spain remains central to this story.
Read more in La Liga news. and related tags: From VAR, In Spain.