FIFA to use new offside technology at 2026 World Cup

FIFA has unveiled new offside technology to be used at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The new system will reduce the need for delayed flag decisions by referees' assistants. This represents a significant change to the offside decision-making process as previously conducted.

FIFA has revealed a new technological solution that will be implemented at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The innovation concerns offside detection and could spell the end of delayed flag signals by assistant referees.

Traditionally in football, the system has worked such that the assistant referee keeps their flag down until the passer's position has been verified using VAR. Only then is the flag raised to signal offside. This so-called delayed flag has created confusion and frustration among players and spectators.

New system works faster

The goal of FIFA's new technology is to make offside detection faster and more accurate, reducing the length of match stoppages and improving the overall flow of play. The FIFA announcement did not provide detailed information about how the system works, but the organisation confirmed its implementation at the next major tournament.

The 2026 World Cup will be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The tournament will also be the largest World Cup in history, with 48 nations participating. For FIFA, this is an important proving ground for introducing new technologies to the international football community.