iPhone replaces Premier League’s VAR cameras. The Premier League is ditching its new but quickly outdated Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. Instead, it’s teaming up with Genius Sports to bring a new player on the field: the iPhone.
This new approach aims to tackle the difficult task of detecting offside violations. Genius Sports plans to deploy a team of 24 to 28 iPhones around the pitch. These devices will work together to create a detailed 3D picture of the movement and help referees make the right call.
iPhone changes VAR to SAOT in Premier League
The Premier League is thus switching from traditional VAR systems to Genius Sports‘ Semi-Assisted Offside Technology (SAOT). This new technology is part of the company’s wider GeniusIQ system.
SAOT aims to paint a clearer picture of the game for referees. It creates 3D models of players and determines their position relative to the offside line. This level of detail can change the rules of the game for making offside decisions at the moment.
Genius Sports isn’t just using old phones. They’ve assembled a team of iPhone 15 Pros for this high-stakes job. These devices will be placed in pairs around the pitch, each pair at slightly different angles to capture every angle of the action.
🤝 The biggest leagues demand the smartest tech.
We’re hugely proud to have been chosen by the @premierleague to deliver Semi-Automated Offside Technology.
Powered by our AI and data platform 𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒖𝒔𝑰𝑸, our system will minimise breaks in the game to improve the… pic.twitter.com/US3kcvUOo7
— Genius Sports (@GeniusSports) August 14, 2024
But why iPhones?
Matt Fleckenstein, chief product officer at Genius Sports, explains it’s partly due to familiarity. The company’s tech wizards know their way around Apple‘s ecosystem, making development smoother.
These iPhones aren’t just taking pretty pictures. They’re capturing between 7,000 and 10,000 data points to build a virtual mesh of each player. This wealth of information helps the system cope with challenges like lighting issues or blocked views.
The high-speed capabilities of iPhones are said to be the key to SAOT’s potential success. It can record at 100 frames per second, and up to 200 fps in tests. This fast recording increases the chances of capturing the exact moment the ball leaves the player’s foot – crucial for accurate offside decisions.
SAOT’s computer vision and prediction algorithms then go to work. It identifies individual body parts down to players’ toes and can predict positions where vision is obstructed. The system was trained on soccer matches over several seasons to hone its skills.
Will SAOT score with officials and fans?
The Premier League is set to put SAOT into play before the year ends. While Genius Sports is confident in its tech, the real test will come on match day. Fans and officials alike will be watching closely to see if this iPhone-powered system can deliver the goods and improve the accuracy of those all-important offside decisions.
The Premier League is not alone in adopting this tech-savvy approach to offside decisions. Semi-automated offside technology is making waves in the world of soccer.
- It first hit the big stage during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where it caught the eye for its precision.
- Since then, SAOT has been on a global tour. Germany used it at UEFA Euro 2024.
- Italy’s Serie A has already started using SAOT for the first time.
- Even Turkey’s Super League switched to the system, becoming one of the first European leagues to adopt it after Italy.
- The Premier League will also join this high-tech array from the 2024/25 season.
The move is in line with a broader effort to leverage advanced technology for faster and more accurate decisions in football. From AI-driven player tracking to connected ball technology, the beautiful game is being revamped for the 21st century.
As leagues around the world connect to SAOT, the soccer landscape is changing. Will this technology-enabled approach lead to fairer games and less controversial decisions? Or will it add a new layer of complexity to the sport? As the Premier League prepares for the SAOT kick-off, fans and officials alike are watching with bated breath. The final whistle has yet to blow on the success of this technology, but one thing is certain: the future of soccer is looking increasingly digital.
Featured image credit: FIFA
