Semi-Automated Offside Technology from 24/25

[Footy-Vill]

Well it's disappointing it's being delayed to possibility the new year. Chief sky sports report Kaveh Solhekol has been told it's the winter when SAOT is introduced but says the winter could even mean February!

[Footy-Vill]

SAOT latest:
The league’s chief football officer, Tony Scholes, reported on Tuesday a reduction in officiating errors and a decrease in VAR delays in the English top flight

Scholes confirmed that the length of VAR delays had also come down from more than a minute per match in the 2023-24 season to 40 seconds. It is a reduction that has occurred without semi-automated offside technology (SOAT), which had been expected to be implemented before Christmas but has met with problems in testing.

Of SOAT
“We are making significant progress I have to confess given the difficulties that we had over the first few months of the season, I had severe doubts about this but we’ve made a lot of progress in this area now.
We believe we’re going to be adopting the best system and the most accurate system. I’m hopeful that at some point this season we will be able to introduce SAOT technology, but I repeat the point made a number of times: we are not going to introduce it if we’ve got any doubts at all with regard to its operation”

[cdbearsfan]

Ridiculous it isn't in already. There's plenty of arguments against VAR, but if you're going to have it you might as well have the best available technology.

[Footy-Vill]

And it’s like there’s deliberate bias of information to suggest it’s not need and everything is fine .

[Footy-Vill]

Semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) is set to be trialled in the FA Cup fifth round next month with a view to it being introduced in the Premier League before the end of the season.

[cdbearsfan]

Good.

[lovejoy]

As you said, it's ridiculous it isn't in already.
Frankly anything would be better than the 4th round experience.

[Mister E]

I was looking for this in the VAR thread ...

[Footy-Vill]

Finally can have discussion on this as SAOT will be at Villa Park tonight:

Semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) will be used for the first time in English football in the fifth round of the 2024-25 Emirates FA Cup – in the seven ties where Premier League sides have been drawn at home.

SAOT will provide more efficient placement of the virtual offside line, based on optical player tracking, and produce virtual graphics to ensure an enhanced in-stadium and broadcast experience for supporters. The operation of semi-automated offside technology does not change the accuracy of the decision making but enhances the speed, efficiency and consistency of the process.


https://www.thefa.com/news/2025/feb/27/emirates-fa-cup-semi-automated-offside-explainer-20252702

[Footy-Vill]

I think it does actually change the accuracy of the offside decision in an improvement

But it's not to report it in that way as to not admit flaws and deficiencies.

[Footy-Vill]

I was looking for this in the VAR thread ...

this is not a general VAR but this is SAOT and a dedicated thread for it's discussion granted their may be some overlap.

There explanation above posts regards what is being implemented.

[Drummond]

The operation of semi-automated offside technology does not change the accuracy of the decision making but enhances the speed, efficiency and consistency of the process.

Pointless then.

[simboy]

The operation of semi-automated offside technology does not change the accuracy of the decision making but enhances the speed, efficiency and consistency of the process.

Pointless then.

if it doesn't improve the "accuracy" how is it improving the "consistency"?  Surely the one is the same as the other here - it is either consistently accurate or it is not at the moment?   

[OCD]

If it stops some tosser from deciding which frame to use and then faffing about drawing a line on the screen, it's got to be a move forward.

[Footy-Vill]

The operation of semi-automated offside technology does not change the accuracy of the decision making but enhances the speed, efficiency and consistency of the process.

Pointless then.

if it doesn't improve the "accuracy" how is it improving the "consistency"?  Surely the one is the same as the other here - it is either consistently accurate or it is not at the moment?   

I think it does actually change the accuracy of the offside decision in an improvement

But it's not to report it in that way as to not admit flaws and deficiencies.

Well as i say the narrative of reporting suggesting it doesn't improve accuracy is to play down the power of the technology as the previous system not only took too long at times the drawing and implementation of red and blue lines flawed


The organisation running the league don’t admit that here but SAOT is far superior all round