FIFA to enhance offside calls with semi-automated VAR for 2026 World Cup

FIFA is enhancing offside calls for the 2026 World Cup with advanced semi-automated VAR technology, providing real-time audio alerts for quicker decisions.(photo/Agency)

Ahead of the FIFA 2026 World Cup, the governing body of the game has introduced a new, advanced semi-automated system for Video Assistant Referees (VARs) to make offside decisions faster. It will give assistant referees relief as they can raise the offside flag even before the move plays out. Under the new setup, assistant referees will receive a real-time audio alert in their earpiece the moment a player is more than 10 centimetres offside - an improvement from the previous threshold of 50 centimetres used during trials at the Club World Cup and the Intercontinental Cup. The linesman still decides when to raise the flag and stop the play. They may keep the flag down if they suspect there has been an error in the new system. The technology still cannot pick the closest offside calls, and there are limitations if players are in crowded situations. The VARs will still decide marginal calls, crowded situations and subjective offside cases. The technology will be helpful for the positional offside calls. "For positional offside, the information was via an audio alert directly sent to the assistant referee - and they could raise the flag. So we had not really any longer delay for positional offside." FIFA's Director of Innovation, Johannes Holzmueller, said during the trial of the system in the Club World Cup. FIFA hopes it will remove the frustration felt by supporters and players, and will reduce the chances of injuries due to needless passages of play when there is an offside play by a player. In May 2025, Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi was placed in an induced coma after colliding with the goalpost during a Premier League fixture against Leicester City, a horrifying incident that unfolded because the assistant held off raising the offside flag as protocol demanded under the VAR rules. The governing body of football does not want such incidents on the biggest stage. FIFA has confirmed it will create AI-powered, life-like 3D avatars of every single player at the tournament - all 1,248 of them across the 48 competing nations' 26-man squads. Each player will step into a scanning chamber during their pre-tournament photo shoot for a one-second full-body scan that captures precise body dimensions. It will give more enhanced and clearer offside animations in the upcoming World Cup.

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FIFA To Introduce New 'Out of Bounds' And 'Line of Sight' Technology FIFA has also approved technology that can determine whether the ball crossed a touchline or byline before a goal was scored, a call which was needed as Aston Villa had a goal disallowed in a Premier League fixture against Brentford in February this year, with the ball unclear if it had gone out of play. Japan’s goal against Germany in the group-stage match in the last World Cup edition also happened due to an unclear call. FIFA has also expanded 'Real-time 3D Recreation' to make 'line-of-sight' judgements for offsides faster and clearer, and to help on-field referees. There will be two virtual feeds, available to the VAR and TV viewers, which replicate the perspectives of both goalkeepers, another technological improvement for the game which can be seen by the fans in this year’s World Cup Edition.