Technical upgrade. The Premier League introduces the standardized offside line

From the 2023/24 season, a calibrated offside line will be introduced in the Premier League. The new technology will be used for the first time in the cup final on 4 June 2023.

In the fifth season with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), the system undergoes a technical upgrade at the collective request of the clubs, as in communication he is called.

From the 2023/24 season, VAR will have an additional option to draw a calibrated line for offside decisions contested in 228 future Premier League matches. “We are pleased with this decision by the SFL. Accordingly, it is now up to us to take the necessary precautions and organize training for the upcoming season, ”says Danny Wermelinger, Head of the Refereeing Committee at SFV. “Some VARs are already accustomed to working with calibrated lines from international games.”

In order for the calibrated offside line to be used reliably, from the start of the 2023/24 season, an electronic calibration of the playing field will be performed before each League One match with a total of 28 pre-selected magnification settings from three different settings. Camera locations (left and right sixteen meter area and camera lead). The program can calculate the exact coordinates of the playing field.

Premiere this weekend

As with the current VAR tackle, when the calibrated offside line is used, the “visual focal point” is defined by a 3D line, which shows whether the shoulder, knee or other part of the player’s body is closest to the opponent’s goal when the ball is passed, An infiltrated site is detected – or not.

The graphics are set up in such a way that two lines of different colors can be seen: one for the defending player and the other for the attacking player. If both are at (almost) the same level, the lines are placed on top of each other, and the offside decision of the attacking player in accordance with UEFA guidelines (“attacking advantage”) is placed in doubt.

“New technology enables the VAR to review offside decisions with great accuracy. Because there is no room for interpretation, the discussion about ‘clear and obvious wrong decisions’ in relation to offside becomes stale,” Wermelinger said.

The new technology will be used across the board in the Premier League starting next season. The calibrated offside line was used for the first time in the 98th Swiss Cup Final on June 4 between BSC Young Boys and FC Lugano at the Wankdorf Stadion in Bern.