Starting from Matchday 32, all EPL matches — as well as the final stages of the FA Cup and the Championship League playoffs — have utilized this cutting-edge tool developed by Genius Sports.
The SAOT has become an essential asset in modern football, enhancing both the accuracy and fairness of offside decisions — one of the sport’s most intricate rules, often the subject of intense debate. Mistakes in these calls can jeopardize match outcomes, lead to economic losses, and undermine trust in refereeing.
“With the solution developed by Genius Sports, decisions are now based on objective data and AI-generated imagery, which significantly reduces the margin for human error,” states the Genius Sports team.
Another key benefit of the technology is the speed of decision-making. In a fast-paced sport like football, long delays for VAR reviews can disrupt the rhythm of the game and frustrate fans. The tool enables offside situations to be assessed in just a few seconds, ensuring precision without interrupting the natural flow of play.
“In addition, adopting the technology reinforces the credibility of competitions and directly contributes to the integrity of the sport. Fast, technical, and transparent decisions increase the trust of both fans and viewers,” says Tiago Horta Barbosa, Head of Integrity for LATAM at Genius Sports.
In a global landscape where football involves massive interests and its reputation is constantly under scrutiny, embracing technology is an inevitable — and necessary — step to preserve the essence and legitimacy of the game.
Source: GMB
