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A Step to VAR: The Vision Science of Offside Calls by Video Assistant Referees
1University of Lincoln, UK.
Perception
|November 13, 2020
Summary
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) offside decisions in football are debated due to video limitations. Vision science reveals spatial inaccuracies and delayed ball-tracking, potentially causing incorrect offside calls.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Vision Science
- Football Analytics
Background:
- The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system significantly impacts football, yet offside decisions remain contentious.
- Over 34 goals were disallowed for offside in the Premier League's first VAR season, highlighting persistent issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate vision science-based limitations in VAR offside decision-making.
- To identify how video feed constraints affect the accuracy of offside calls.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of VAR's reliance on live TV video feeds for offside reviews.
- Examination of spatial resolution limits and video frame rates (50Hz) in relation to player and ball positioning.
Main Results:
- VAR's spatial resolution limits can lead to positional errors of several centimetres for players and the ball.
- The 50Hz TV update rate introduces a 10ms delay in judging ball contact, increasing incorrect offside decisions in dynamic play.
Conclusions:
- Vision science principles explain key inaccuracies in VAR offside rulings.
- Recommendations are proposed to mitigate these technical limitations for more accurate football officiating.
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