A new AI-enabled offside system blends ball-tracking data with 3D player avatars to determine offside calls within seconds, boosting both accuracy and speed.

The system builds 3D digital avatars of players from quick body scans to capture precise physiques for offside judgments.

Stadiums are now equipped with 16 high-resolution cameras each, up from 12, to improve skeletal tracking and minimize blind spots during play.

Officials gain a 3D goalkeeper view to assess potential interference and determine whether the goalkeeper’s line of sight was affected.

The upgraded VAR can review red-card decisions and misidentified players, with alert systems to prompt on-field officials and reduce delays.

Trials at the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in Qatar and FIFA Club World Cup indicate faster, more accurate offside calls with fewer delays.

The technology operates semi-automatically: AI and sensors suggest calls, while human referees make the final decision.

Lenovo is developing digital twins of all 16 host stadiums for crowd and security management, providing teams with analytics on more than 2,000 football-specific metrics.

Rendered 3D avatars are displayed on stadium screens and broadcasts to visually illustrate offside decisions for spectators.

FIFA Secretary General highlights the AI-enabled avatars as a major advance for officiating accuracy and transparency.

Adidas Trionda smart ball with internal sensors tracks location and spin hundreds of times per second, feeding data into the offside system.