Premier League Set to Introduce New Offside Technology This Season After ‘Significant’ Developments

The Premier League may roll out semi-automated offside technology before the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, according to Chief Football Officer Tony Scholes, who stated that “significant” strides have been made during testing.

Last year, there was unanimous agreement among Premier League clubs to adopt the technology during a shareholders’ meeting. The initial plan was to have it implemented before Christmas; however, complications in testing arose.

“The progress achieved in the past four to six weeks has been considerable. We are confident that we can adopt the best and most accurate system,” Scholes shared with British media on Tuesday.

“The EFL has already implemented it in the League Cup this year. We will keep an eye on that… Clearly, if we aren’t feeling assured by the last two or three rounds of matches, we would sensibly conclude that introducing it at that point wouldn’t be practical.

“However, if we can incorporate it sooner, it’s definitely something we’re seriously contemplating.”

Semi-automated offside technology has been utilised in major tournaments, reducing the lengthy waits for VAR reviews that occur when officials manually assess offside situations, while also minimising the potential for error.

Currently, VAR officials in the Premier League are responsible for reviewing offside calls, though the system has faced criticism regarding the time it takes to reach a verdict.