Premier League confirm key rule change which will impact Newcastle United, Man Utd, Liverpool & rivals

The Premier League has confirmed that semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) will be introduced to the division before the end of the calendar year.

Top-flight clubs, including Newcastle United, unanimously agreed to the introduction of the technology next season at a meeting on Thursday. 

Its introduction comes amid concerns from fans about the amount of time taken for VAR decisions to be made. If successfully implemented the rule change is expected to cut the average length of a VAR check for offside by 30 seconds, according to Sky Sports.

The Premier League has not yet disclosed the technology partner that it will work with, and as of yet no contracts are understood to have been signed. 

An exact timeline on when the technology will be introduced has not yet been determined, although reports claim that it will not be in place for the opening game of the 2024/25 campaign. Instead, more realistically, it is estimated by Sky Sports that the technology will come after one of the first two international breaks of the season - so as early as September or as late as November.

A Premier League statement confirming the news said: “The technology will provide quicker and consistent placement of the virtual offside line, based on optical player tracking, and will produce high-quality broadcast graphics to ensure an exchange in-stadium experience for supporters.”

Semi-automated offside technology is already in use in the Champions League as Newcastle experienced earlier this season. Similarly, it has also been used in Serie A and both the men’s and Women’s World Cup, with a chip embedded inside the match ball.

The Premier League currently has VAR officials check offsides using Hawk-Eye, though the system itself has faced criticism for perceived errors as well as the lengthy time required to reach a verdict, which in turn leaves fans in the stadium in the dark with no replays provided.