Applications GUIDE
AI in Sports Refereeing and Officiating
This guide focuses on FIFA’s semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) as documented for the 2022 World Cup.
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Overview
It combines player and ball tracking to assist match officials; other sports and officiating tools have different designs and rules.
Deep Dive
For the FIFA 2022 implementation, twelve dedicated cameras tracked the ball and up to 29 relevant player data points 50 times per second. A ball-mounted inertial measurement unit sent data 500 times per second to help identify the kick point in tight incidents. The system generated an alert and visualization for video match officials, who validated the kick point and offside line before the referee was informed. FIFA says other judgments, such as whether an offside-positioned player interfered with an opponent, remain for the referee. If SAOT malfunctions, VAR can use established tools such as crosshairs and triangulation.
Real-World Implementation
Review FIFA’s documented camera and ball-sensor inputs for a tight offside decision.
Use the system’s proposed kick point and virtual line as evidence for official review.
Retain manual offside tools if the tracking system fails.
Explain that rule interpretation remains with match officials.
The Future of AI in Sports Refereeing and Officiating
FIFA’s documented testing criteria and workflow are specific to the system version and tournament context. Future changes should be evaluated against the relevant sport’s rules, measurement accuracy, failure procedures, and human review requirements; this example does not establish how other sports automate officiating.
Putting it into practice
Why it matters
- Build choices. Application-level design determines whether AI improves real outcomes.
- Team and workflow. Good workflow integration creates productivity gains users can trust.
- Risk and safety. Well-scoped use cases reduce change fatigue and implementation risk.
Watch out for
- Automating a broken process can amplify existing problems.
- Teams may over-automate and remove needed human judgment.
- Quality can drift if outputs are not continuously evaluated.
Next steps
- Map the current workflow and identify the highest-friction step.
- Define human checkpoints before full automation.
- Train users on prompts, escalation paths, and quality standards.
- Track task-level outcomes to confirm sustained value.
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Frequently asked questions
What is AI in Sports Refereeing and Officiating?
This guide focuses on FIFA’s semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) as documented for the 2022 World Cup. It combines player and ball tracking to assist match officials; other sports and officiating tools have different designs and rules.
In FIFA’s documented 2022 SAOT setup, how often did the tracking cameras capture player data points?
FIFA states the cameras tracked up to 29 player data points 50 times per second.
In tight FIFA SAOT situations, what information did the ball’s IMU provide?
FIFA says the ball sensor data helps precisely detect the kick point in tight incidents.
Under IFAB Law 11, is being in an offside position by itself an offence?
IFAB distinguishes an offside position from committing an offside offence through involvement in play.
Who validates the proposed kick point and virtual offside line in FIFA’s documented workflow?
FIFA says video match officials manually check the system-selected kick point and generated line.
What did FIFA describe as a fallback if SAOT malfunctions?
FIFA identifies crosshairs and triangulation as other tools available if SAOT malfunctions.
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