Preston North End & Burnley left out of significant decision ahead of FA Cup clash | OneFootball

VAR will be in use at Deepdale but there will be no semi-automated offside technology in play

Lancashire rivals Preston North End and Burnley are set to be the only teams playing without semi-automated offside technology in the FA Cup fifth round.

The Premier League announced that its teams still involved in the competition will implement the new technology for fifth round games, with seven out of the eight ties set to be staged at top flight grounds.

But the technology will not be in place at Deepdale due to the fact it is an all-Championship clash, although there will be video assistant referees (VAR) in action for the first time ever at the home of the Lilywhites.

Semi-automated offside technology set for English football debut but Preston North End v Burnley will not have it

Whilst not necessarily more accurate, semi-automated offside technology is being implemented into the English game in order to boost efficiency.

Long VAR checks have become common place in the Premier League, with video assistant referees having to manually place offside lines to verify if a player is onside or not.

This line placement will now be placed more efficiently due to the technology, which uses optical player tracking.

The technology was seen in action at the last World Cup in Qatar, back in December 2022.

Just like at the World Cup, graphics will be produced to demonstrate the offside decisions made.

Throughout the 2024/25 campaign, the Premier League has run tests alongside the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body that organises referees in the English game.

The Premier League wishes to implement the technology into their league games before the end of the campaign, and will use the FA Cup fifth round as a testing bed.

If all goes well, it will be implemented into the Premier League before the end of the 2024/25 season.

Preston & Burnley but VAR set to make Deepdale debut during Preston North End v Burnley

Back in December the FA announced that all matches in the fifth round of the FA Cup onwards would use VAR – even at grounds outside of the Premier League.

Previously the technology had been restricted to Premier League stadiums and Wembley, with VAR a requirement for top-flight sides.

However, the FA believe that it was unfair for teams to play under different conditions.

Part of the FA’s statement at the time read: “This decision ensures that there is a consistent refereeing approach for all clubs taking part in the same stage of the competition.”

This means that for the first time ever, Deepdale will see VAR in action, but North End fans will be no stranger to it having seen it used in their clash with Chelsea in round three of the FA Cup last season.

The Blues ran out 4-0 winners at Stamford Bridge, and their fourth goal courtesy of Enzo Fernandez was looked at by the technology for a number of minutes, before it was ruled that the Argentine was onside.

As well as making VAR mandatory in the fifth round, the FA removed it from the third and fourth rounds of the competition.

Any decisions revised by VAR will be communicated to fans at Deepdale via stadium announcements and on the big screens.

Referees will be able to explain their decisions to “provide improved clarity and understanding for spectators and viewers” according to the FA.

Other Championship clubs will face the prospect of new offside technology

Burnley and Preston’s Championship rivals Cardiff City, Millwall and Plymouth Argyle will play their matches under the supervision of the new offside technology, as they have all been drawn away to Premier League outfits.

Welsh club Cardiff travel to Aston Villa, Millwall are away to south London neighbours Crystal Palace, and Plymouth Argyle visit Premier League champions Manchester City.

Ties are set to be staged the weekend of Saturday, March 1, with exact scheduling for television not yet decided.