Was this offside? Fifa under pressure to release VAR images
Summary
Switzerland was awarded a penalty after a question arose about whether player Remo Freuler was offside before being fouled by Qatar’s goalkeeper in a World Cup Group B match. Despite advanced technology designed to accurately judge offsides, FIFA has not released the semi-automated offside system images to clarify the decision, leading to calls for transparency.Key Facts
- Switzerland’s Remo Freuler was involved in a penalty decision against Qatar in the 2026 World Cup match that ended 1-1.
- The semi-automated offside system used by FIFA creates detailed player avatars to help decide offsides.
- This system is meant to show very precise offside calls quickly, using technology that alerts officials if a player is more than 10 cm offside.
- The penalty decision was close, and the offside call appears near or under the 10 cm limit, so no immediate offside flag was given.
- FIFA has not shared the specific offside visuals for this penalty, which has caused frustration and speculation.
- Television analyst Gary Neville and others have called on FIFA to publicly show the evidence for transparency and to reduce doubts.
- In other leagues using similar technology, officials can draw virtual lines on the screen to show offsides if the tech isn’t perfect.
- FIFA quickly shared offside graphics in other matches where decisions were clear, adding to questions about why they have not done so here.
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