Semi-automated offside to debut in Corinthians v Bahia, Brasileirão | OneFootball

Corinthians will be one of the first teams to use semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) in the Brazilian Championship. The new feature will become part of Serie A officiating starting from the 20th round and will be in place for the match between Bahia and Corinthians, scheduled for next Saturday (25) at 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at Casa de Apostas Arena Fonte Nova, in Salvador.

The confirmation was made by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), which concluded the system’s implementation process after about eight months of preparation. In addition to the match involving Timão, all Serie A matches in the 20th round will use the resource.

Photo: Disclosure / Corinthians

To make the implementation possible, the entity carried out technical inspections, equipment installation, and a series of tests at the stadiums hosting top-flight matches. Neo Química Arena was among the venues that received the necessary structure for the technology to operate, with specific cameras installed during the first half of the year.

The system was developed by Genius Sports through the GeniusIQ platform and aims to provide greater speed and accuracy in the analysis of offside plays. Between 28 and 32 exclusive cameras were installed in each stadium to monitor plays, in addition to servers responsible for processing the images.

The information captured on the field will be sent in real time to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Operations Center, located in Rio de Janeiro. The system automatically identifies the players involved in the play, determines the exact moment of the pass, and generates a three-dimensional reconstruction of the incident to assist the officiating team.

According to the CBF, referees, assistants, VAR professionals, and technical teams underwent specific training before the technology’s official debut. Tests were also carried out in matches and simulated situations to validate the system’s operation.

In a statement released by the entity, CBF president Samir Xaud said that the adoption of semi-automated offside is part of the process of modernizing Brazilian officiating.

“When we took on the commitment to implement semi-automated offside (SAOT), we made it clear that modernizing officiating would be a priority of our administration. Today, we are delivering this technology to Brazilian football after a careful process of planning, testing, and training. It is an investment that brings the Brazilian Championship closer to the highest international standards and reinforces our commitment to transparency, sporting fairness, and the credibility of competitions organized by the CBF.”

The director of the CBF Refereeing Commission, Netto Góes, also highlighted the importance of the new feature for national competitions.

“The implementation of semi-automated offside technology represents a historic milestone for Brazilian football. It is a strategic investment by the CBF in the modernization of officiating, bringing the Brazilian Championship into line with the world’s leading competitions. Our goal is to provide ever greater accuracy, transparency, and confidence in on-field decisions, strengthening the credibility of the competition and providing more security for referees, athletes, clubs, and fans.”

The technology will be used in both the Brazilian Championship and the Copa do Brasil during the 2026 and 2027 seasons, in accordance with the contract signed between the CBF and the company responsible for the system. As a result, Corinthians will make its debut using semi-automated offside precisely in the match against Bahia, valid for the 20th round of the Brasileirão. After the break in the calendar, the clash will mark the club’s first game with the new officiating tool in operation.

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