Why Conmebol didn't use semi-automated offside in the SPFC match

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·16 September 2026

Why Conmebol didn't use semi-automated offside in the SPFC match

The 1-1 draw with Boca Juniors resulted in São Paulo’s elimination from the Copa Sudamericana (since the team had lost the first leg 1-0 in Argentina), but the match was marked by a crucial moment: the disallowing of a Ryan Francisco goal in the second half, when the Argentinians were still leading.

In the play, Luciano passed the ball for the young striker to score, but VAR, under the command of Leodan González, used the traditional manual line-drawing method to call offside.

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As the broadcast angle showed an extremely close play, the decision sparked questions and reignited the debate over the technology used by the refereeing team.

Tricolor still equalized through Domingos Duarte, but it was not enough to go through.

Why doesn’t Conmebol use semi-automated offside technology?

The big question after the match was why Conmebol does not use the more precise and faster technology for offside situations.

According to a UOL report, the main obstacle to implementing the system throughout the competition is the lack of standardized infrastructure across the continent.

Below are the main points holding back the use of the technology:

Installation Logistics: For the semi-automated system to work, complex devices need to be installed in every stadium hosting tournament matches, and many South American venues do not currently have the conditions for this immediate adaptation.
Inequality Between Leagues: The process would be much simpler if the national leagues already used the technology as a standard. However, at present, only the stadiums of Brazil’s Série A clubs have this equipment.
Restriction to Finals: Because of these operational difficulties, Conmebol is only able to make semi-automated technology viable for specific matches, such as single-match finals (Libertadores and Sudamericana) or the Recopa, events where stadiums are defined in advance and there is enough time to set up the structure.

There are plans for this technology to be expanded in the coming years, but there is still no set season for it to cover all stages of the continental tournaments.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

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