For the first time, the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) is using new artificial intelligence to help referees call off-sides in this year’s World Cup. The system uses semi-automated offside technology: 12 cameras are attached to the roof of the stadium to track the ball and each player’s movements.
Artificial intelligence recognises and tracks players and the ball, calculating their positions 50 times per second. A sensor is attached to the official Qatar 2022 World Cup ball, which allows comparison of the exact moment it was kicked with the position of the team’s last defender and the opposing team’s striker.
According to the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body in charge of the laws of the game, “a player is in an offside position if, any part of his head, body or feet is in the opponent’ half (excluding the halfway line), and any part of the head, body or feet is nearer to the....
