English Premier League side Chelsea is set to be the first Premier League side to play with “robo-ref” offside decisions at this month’s Club World Cup. The Blues will be looking to win the competition at the second time of asking, having previously lost against Corinthians in the final in 2012.
Chelsea to be the First Clube to Use Robo-ref
Thomas Tuchel’s side will be travelling to the tournament in the United Arab Emirates as the current holders of the Uefa Champions League. They beat Manchester City in the final and also won the winners of Europa League Villarreal to win the Super Cup which made them qualify for the Fifa Club World Cup.
Robot referees’ will be trialled during the competition this month. It is believed that the new technology will be used to make offside decisions within half a second. Special cameras that will be attached to the stadium roofs will be used to create a ‘limb-tracking system’, creating animated skeletons that will help speed up the decision-making process in regards to offside calls.
The normal Video Assistant Referee VAR referees in place will then be alerted of the decision made by the technology, with the on-pitch referee then being subsequently informed. FIFA is hoping to fully implement the system before the start of this year’s World Cup which comes up in November and December, with the governing body saying the robotics have the: “potential to provide new insights for coaches, medical staff, and fans.”
The Blues will enter the competition at the semi-final stage where they will face either Al Hilal, Al Jazira of Pirae.
