2023-12-19T15:02:29+00:00
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/ The Asian Football Confederation announced on Tuesday the adoption of a semi-automated offside system to enhance referees’ decisions starting next year.
The federation stated in a brief statement on its website that the new system will be adopted in the Asian Cup matches that will be hosted by Qatar from January 12 to February 10, 2024.
This will be the first time that this technology will be applied in AFC competitions, and it will thus become the first continental federation in the world to apply this system in national team tournaments, according to the “Erem News” website.
In turn, the President of the Asian Federation, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, said, “Asian referees have proven their position among the best referees in the world, and the implementation of the semi-automated offside system will contribute to helping them raise the level of standards to higher levels.”
“The AFC is determined to enhance its position as the leading continental federation in the field of refereeing in the world by adopting the latest technological initiatives, in addition to the full implementation of the Video Assistant Referee system in the most prominent Asian tournaments,” he added.
He added, “We reaffirm the AFC’s vision to provide the ideal platform for our players, teams and referees to shine.”
This system uses 13 specialized cameras distributed throughout the stadium to determine the exact location of the ball and players on the field, specifically the location of the player’s limbs and other body parts that affect the offside decision.
The application of this technology will facilitate the process of checking locations accurately and quickly using artificial intelligence, and when a player who is potentially in an offside position receives the ball, an alert is sent to the video assistant referee to check the player’s location immediately.
Qatar is hosting the continental tournament after China withdrew from organising it due to the impact of the Corona pandemic.