Clear positional offsides can be sent directly to officials on the field under FIFA's advanced semi-automated system for the 2026 World Cup. FIFA described the change on June 3, before the tournament.
The earlier 2022 system sent information to the video assistant referee. The newer design gives assistant referees a faster route to a clear positional decision, according to FIFA. It does not automate every question covered by the offside rule.
A player's location is only part of that rule. A player who does not touch the ball can still interfere with an opponent. FIFA says the direct-alert function does not decide that kind of interference.
The organization also described 3D player scans, incorporated into the system as digital representations. The aim is to improve positional accuracy and make broadcast reconstructions more recognizable.
Sixteen optical tracking cameras were planned for each stadium, producing more than 150 million tracking data points per match, FIFA says. That data supports a reconstructed view of play rather than relying on one television camera angle.
One use is checking whether an attacker blocks the goalkeeper's view of the ball. Officials can consult the reconstruction, but interpreting interference remains a refereeing task.
The same tracking infrastructure also supports analysis tools and 3D replays. FIFA's stated benefits come from its own description of the tournament technology, not an independent measurement of decision speed or accuracy.
Automatic positional information and a referee's interpretation remain separate parts of the decision.
