Three testing experts are calling on the German Football Association (DFB) and the German Football League (DFL) to suspend the use of the semi-automatic offside detection system (SAOT) in the Bundesliga. According to the specialists, the current technology can produce measurement inaccuracies that have not been factored into the league’s rules.
In an analysis reported by “Der Spiegel”, the experts conclude that a margin of error, similar to those used by speed cameras, should be mandatory. They suggest this tolerance zone must be at least 20 centimeters. However, the SAOT system’s responsible parties dismissed these demands when approached by “Der Spiegel”, stating their intention to continue using the system as usual. This stance is noteworthy, as the DFL had previously claimed on its website that the technology allowed for the determination of offside positions with “millimeter precision”-a statement that has since vanished from the magazine’s reports.
The semi-automatic offside detection system has been supporting the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the Bundesliga since last season, employing AI and specialized tracking cameras to determine if a player is in an offside position. The experts warn that the system is currently making many decisions based on minute differences-measurements of only a few centimeters. They argue that the system cannot guarantee such high levels of accuracy due to various complex factors, rendering these close calls unreliable.
The initial call for scrutiny was triggered by an incident last November involving a match between Union Berlin and FC Bayern Munich. In that game, a goal scored by the Berlin team was disallowed because of a questionable, borderline offside position. Norbert Barz, a fan of Union Berlin and former executive director of the German Accreditation Body, expressed deep frustration regarding the VAR’s role in the decision. He subsequently developed an analysis, which he collaborated on with two other experts in the inspection field, Michael Wolf and Thomas Facklam.