Your guide to semi-automated offside VAR calls at Euro 2024 in Germany.
VAR. The three-letter acronym that will probably send a chill down the spine of most fans of Premier League clubs.
While decisions made by video assistant referees in the English top flight seems to spark debate on a weekly basis, the technology appears to have been successfully implemented at international level since being adopted at the last European Championship in 2021.
If you watch a match at Euro 2024, then you will probably notice there is a big difference to the VAR technology used to judge offside calls by the Premier League – as there is a semi-automated system in place.
RadioTimes.com brings you all the details you need to know about semi-automated offside calls at Euro 2024 in Germany.
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What is semi-automated offside VAR at Euro 2024?
It is something we are not used to (yet) in the Premier League, but semi-automated offside VAR will be in operation at Euro 2024.
The Adidas Euro 2024 ball – called the Fussballliebe – contains a microchip that allows moments of contact to be pinpoint-accurate, while additional tracking technology provided by cameras on the roof of the stadium will keep tabs on every player.
When there is a potential offside, the semi-automated system fires an alert to the video assistant referee, and automatically draws the famous lines in an instant.
That means fewer infuriating waits for a decision, as all that’s left to be done is for the VAR to confirm the accuracy of the technology, run the rule over the call and relay the final verdict to the on-field official.
This sort of tech was used at the Qatar World Cup in 2022, and it famously proved that Cristiano Ronaldo did not touch the ball during a goal in Portugal’s win against Uruguay.
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