It’s taken the consistently bad application of VAR for the Premier League to finally allow a vote on Semi Automated Offside Technology.
First used in the 2022 World Cup, the technology – in practice – has seemed so much more effective than the haphazard line drawing that the English top-flight have used to date.
There are genuine question marks over just how accurate the drawing of the lines have been in some instances, and camera angles are often unhelpful to the officials at PGMOL who are under pressure to produce a quick decision.
Premier League clubs vote unanimously for SAOT introduction
That the vote was passed unanimously on Thursday tells you all you need to know about where the Premier League’s member clubs stand on the issue of its introduction, and the general feeling about VAR.
A statement was issued on Thursday by the Premier League (h/t inews) which noted that SOAT will have a “quicker and consistent placement of the virtual offside line, based on optical player tracking, and will produce high-quality broadcast graphics to ensure an enhanced in-stadium and broadcast experience for supporters.”
In what could be seen as another hugely positive change, it’s believed that the images will be shown on the big screens inside the stadium, meaning that any fans attending the matches will be fully involved and not left to sit there and wait.
Indeed, it’s also suggested that the length of time taken for a decision to be reached will be much quicker thanks to 12 cameras inside each stadium and 29 data points on each player.