Arsene Wenger states offside calls will be automatic in 2022

FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger has talked about automatic offside decisions potentially being implemented as part of the 2022 World Cup that will be held in Qatar. 

The former Arsenal manager has spoken about automated offside calls becoming the next big thing in refereeing after VAR. In 2020, FIFA previously mentioned that it was looking into semi-automatic offside decisions to help referees make the right calls on the pitch. The technology will be used in addition to VAR and attempts at making offside calls much more consistent in the modern game. 

“There are a lot of possibilities,” Wenger said at a press conference in Paris. “I have to keep things secret, but there will be a big evolution in refereeing.

“Everything is being studied. [Technology] can even determine if a decision of five or six centimetres is offside or not.”

VAR has faced a lot of criticism from players, coaches and fans, especially in the Premier League. The inconsistencies in the case of offsides and handballs are something that everybody wants to be sorted out. This season, the English referees are doing a much better job at using the technology. The introduction of another piece of automated technology will make sure that the decision-making process is as easy as it can be. 

The 2022 Qatar World Cup has also been the subject of a lot of controversies due to the violation of the human rights of construction workers. Players have been vocal about their protests against the hosts, and there have also been talks of players abandoning the World Cup next year.