Premier League referees have lost confidence in the semi-automatic offside system introduced this season after the recent fiasco in the Carabao Cup match led to a lengthy postponement.
Premier League referees have lost confidence in the semi-automatic offside system introduced this season
Premier League referees are losing faith in the new semi-automatic offside technology introduced this season, with Manchester City’s canceled goal proving to be a turning point.
Josep Guardiola’s side had a goal ruled out in the Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle, but it came after a five-and-a-half minute delay. Antoine Semenyo thought he had scored at St James’ Park, but a decision was needed on whether Erling Haaland, who was in an offside position, was trying to take advantage.
The Genius Sports system operates a semi-automatic offside, but the Telegraph reports that it does not work if the goalkeeper is not the last man in the order of players in play. Problems also arise when many players are involved.
The semi-automatic system failed to recognize that Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope was not the last man standing, forcing VAR manager Stuart Attwell to use a substitute Hawkeye, which caused a line to be drawn on the screen.
Umpires feel there is a perception that on-field officials and VAR are being held responsible for delays by fans. Hawk-Eye, another contractor that provides Genius Sports and other VAR services, both have staff based within London’s Stockley Park hub.
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The issue of semi-automatic offside technology was raised at a weekly VAR training meeting for selected Group 1 referees responsible for Premier League matches and top-level Championship matches. However, it is the Premier League who have agreed a deal with provider Genius Sports on behalf of refereeing body PGMOL.
Unlike other VAR services that use camera feeds from broadcast stations, the Genius system has its own camera network. The stadium must be equipped with a network of 30 iPhones capturing 100 frames per second. When the system was first introduced, a Premier League statement said it would “significantly reduce” delays in decisions “in most cases”.
The fiasco that saw Antoine Semenyo’s goal canceled was a pivotal moment
Guardiola said after the incident at St James’ Park: “I’m sure Howard Webb (technical director of professional game match officials) will call me tomorrow to explain the matter. Today it took more than six minutes (to review) and I can’t even discuss it with the referee. But they will call me.”
VAR has been introduced in the Premier League since 2019, but opinions remain divided as to whether it is beneficial to the game. I’m still getting similar errors. Newcastle’s recent decision in their win over Aston Villa was described by Wayne Rooney as one of the “worst decisions I have ever seen”.
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