What Is Semi-Automated Offside Technology: How Does it Work?

The Premier League is set to become the third of Europe's top five leagues to use semi-automated offside technology.

Following several trial runs, semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) is officially coming to the Premier League this weekend.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar was the first major tournament to use SAOT and over the years, the technology has become a mainstay in some of soccer's biggest competitions and leagues. The Champions League has used SAOT since 2022-23 and Serie A welcomed the technology in 2023 as well. La Liga, meanwhile, introduced SAOT at the start of this season.

Last April, Premier League clubs voted to introduce SAOT to the English top-flight. A few delays, though, prevented the technology from fully going live in the league until now. Manchester City's match against Crystal Palace on Saturday, Apr. 12 will be the first time the technology is officially used in the Premier League.

Here's everything you need to know about the new technology.

What Is Semi-Automated Offside Technology?

Semi-automated offside technology is an AI system that "enhances the speed, efficiency and consistency of offside decision-making," per the Premier League. SAOT automates the offside decision-making process for VAR and produces 3D graphics for viewers both in person and at home to clearly see whether a player was onside or offside.

Instead of having officials in the VAR room determine tight offside decisions by manually drawing lines, SAOT will come to the correct conclusion in a much quicker fashion. The technology automatically creates offside lines on the second rear-most defender and the relevant attacker to determine an offside decision.

The SAOT decision will be reviewed and confirmed by a VAR official and then be relayed to the referee on the pitch, hence why it is only "semi-automated."

How Does Semi-Automated Offside Technology Work?

Premier League stadiums now have up to 30 cameras mounted throughout the venue to provide SAOT with accurate, real-time images from multiple angles. According to the Premier League, a few of those cameras can capture footage at 100 frames per second, "twice the frame rate of typical broadcast cameras."

The cameras track the exact movement of the ball and therefore will have all the necessary footage to determine an offside decision. In fact, the system will automatically flag any offside activity and immediately send it to the VAR room.

Will SAOT Reduce Delays in Matches?

Yes, SAOT will reduce delays in matches now that VAR has an automated system capable of producing an offside decision in mere seconds. Now that officials do not have to draw lines and draw their own conclusions, offside decisions will come much quicker, allowing the game to progress without a prolonged stoppage.

There could still be lengthy delays, though, for other decisions, like penalties, goal reviews or red cards. Those decisions will still be made by the officials and therefore could still take a while.