FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 to have ‘ROBOT LINESMEN’ for first time in history

Robo linesmen

FIFA remains on track to introduce “robo linesmen” at the 2022 World Cup.

World boss Gianni Infantino is keen to introduce the “semi automated offside” system for Fifa's global showpiece which starts in November. 

Robot linesmen may be deployed to the 2022 FIFA World Cup which starts in Qatar later in the year.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino is keen on improving the officiating standards at the global showpiece. The robots will only help match officials detect offside as the match referee and linesmen are still saddled with decision making. The president of the world’s football governing body FIFA, Gianni Infantino, has considered introducing the “semi-automated offside” system at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Trials of the system, which uses 10 cameras to track 29 body points of each player, took place in the Club World Cup won by Liverpool and the Arab Cup held in four of Doha’s eight World Cup stadiums.

And with all the signs that the technology does work, bringing far quicker offside calls than under the current VAR line-led system, world chiefs are due to give a positive update at Monday’s delayed annual general meeting of the law-making International FA Board.

During several training camps, the FIFA Officials Committee trains World Cup referees how to make arbitration decisions on their own.

Qatar 2022 will already go down in history as the first men’s FIFA World Cup to have female referees.

The meeting is being held in Qatar, after the initial March date in Zurich was postponed as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

FIFA is understood to be ready to state there are no impediments to the full introduction of the technology.