There were many controversial positions in the Sivasspor-Galatasaray match played last week. The first of these was the cancellation of the home team’s goal due to offside with the warning of VAR, and this was not shown to the audience. TFF also made its final statement on the subject. So, will the next generation VAR system supported by artificial intelligence come to Turkey, which can end these discussions?
VAR referee of Sivasspor-Galatasaray match was dismissed!
The Central Referee Board announced that the referees of the Sivasspor-Galatasaray match made a “significant referee mistake”. He said that the VAR referee of the match will not be assigned any more duties, and that the referees of Gaziantep-Besiktas and Sivasspor-Galatasaray matches will not be assigned for a long time.
The statement made by the Central Arbitration Board and published on the TFF website said:
“Gaziantep Football Club Inc. – Beşiktaş A.Ş., Demir Grup Sivasspor – Galatasaray A.Ş. referees of the matches and Demir Grup Sivaspor – Galatasaray A.Ş. Regarding the VAR referee of the match, the Central Arbitration Committee carried out the necessary investigations.
Demir Grup Sivasspor – Galatasaray A.Ş. match, the goal was canceled due to offside, this decision was an erroneous decision, and Gaziantep FK A.Ş. – Besiktas A.S. It has been determined that the referee of the match made a “significant referee error” by not sending the offending player despite the VAR referee’s recommendation to watch.
Demir Grup Sivasspor – Galatasaray A.Ş. We respectfully inform the public that the VAR referee of the match will not be assigned, and the referees of the two matches in question will not be assigned for a long time.”
How does the artificial intelligence supported VAR system work in Turkey?
The offside rule is considered by many fans to be the most controversial and complex rule in football. Moreover, it is very difficult to apply this rule among the referees who manage the competitions. Because many different elements such as the positions of the players on the field and their alignment with each other need to be followed instantly.
For this reason, the VAR system, which was introduced in the past years, aimed to help the referees on the field. However, even if some positions are viewed from many different angles, the managers of the match may not agree on the decision. Moreover, even if the right decision is made, the long duration of the examinations greatly reduces the energy of the match, the fans and the players.
To solve this problem, FIFA decided to seek help from artificial intelligence systems and software, which it believed would make the offside review process faster. He even implemented it for the first time in the 2021 Arab Cup.
About 10 cameras were placed next to the roof of the stadium where the matches were played. Other cameras and sensors on the field tracked 29 data points per player, 50 times per second. In other words, 3 thousand checks per minute per player were made automatically by the system.
Thanks to this system, the referees sitting at the VAR table do not have to press the button to draw the line or do the calculations with their eyes. Instead, the system automatically shows who is offside when you stop the position and who is offside within the second the ball is out of the foot.
Will he come to Turkey? For now, there is no statement that any work has been done on this subject. Because if the system we mentioned is applied to every stadium, very high amounts arise. For this reason, there are some claims that it can only be rented for critical matches such as cup finals.
What do you think about this subject? Don’t forget to share your views with us in the comments!