FIFA will launch "advanced semi-automatic offside technology" at the Club World Cup to avoid similar situations such as Nottingham Forest striker Avonie was injured in offside. Avoniyi collided with the post and caused an abdominal injury a...
Avoniyi collided with the post and caused an abdominal injury and ended up undergoing emergency surgery in the game against Leicester City last month. The new system will alert the assistant referee to raise the flag in a noticeable offside situation through an audio signal. The technology has been successfully tested in the InterContinental Cup and other youth events, but it does not mean that the delay in offside flag lifting will disappear, and most offside situations still need to be verified.
In addition, during the Club World Cup in the United States, live fans will be able to watch the VAR review process in real time on the big screen. While fans can’t hear the discussion between the referee and the video assistant, they can follow the playback on the sideline monitor.
Currently, most games will only show replays on the big screen after intervention, while a few games such as the Australian A League have achieved real-time sharing replays. This is another small step to improve transparency in VAR audits, but still lacks overall transparency. FIFA also confirmed that the referee will wear a body camera and its video will be immediately provided to global broadcaster DAZN for game broadcast. FIFA's referee committee chairman Corina said: "It's exciting for the 117 referees selected for the 2025 Club World Cup to participate in this historic event. These innovations demonstrate FIFA's commitment to using technology to improve the overall football experience, especially in improving transparency and understanding of referee decisions."
