Premier League referees doubt offside tech after Man City delay

Premier League referees have reportedly lost confidence in the new semi-automated offside system following a significant technical failure during Manchester City’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle United.

Officials are concerned that the technology, introduced this season to expedite decision-making, is instead causing excessive stoppages in play.

The tipping point arrived at St James’ Park, where a disallowed goal for Pep Guardiola’s side resulted in a delay of more than five minutes.

System limitations exposed

The semi-automated offside technology (SAOT), operated by Genius Sports, reportedly struggles to track player order when the goalkeeper is not the last line of defence.

Complex phases of play involving multiple bodies in the penalty area have also caused the system to falter.

During the incident on Tyneside, the software failed to recognise that Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope was not the final defender.

Video Assistant Referee Stuart Attwell was subsequently forced to abandon the advanced system and revert to the back-up Hawk-Eye method.

This required the manual drawing of lines on the screen to determine if Erling Haaland had sought to gain an advantage from an offside position.

Guardiola demands explanation

The lengthy administrative pause frustrated those in the technical area, with the Manchester City manager expecting a personal apology from PGMOL chief Howard Webb.

“I’m pretty sure Howard Webb is going to call me tomorrow to take explanations for that,” Guardiola stated.

“Today was more than six minutes [reviewing] and we’re not even able to discuss it with the referee. But they will call me.”

The Genius Sports system relies on a network of iPhones installed in stadiums to capture 100 frames per second, operating independently of broadcast feeds.

Upon its introduction, the Premier League stated that the innovation would “significantly decrease” delays in reaching verdicts.

Officials fear backlash

Concerns regarding the reliability of the software were raised during a weekly training meeting for Select Group 1 referees.

There is a growing feeling among officials that they are unfairly receiving the blame from supporters for technical shortcomings beyond their control.

While the contract with the provider was agreed by the Premier League, it is the match officials at the Stockley Park hub who face the immediate pressure when the system fails.