Fifa tests new technology to decide if ball went out of play

Fifa has been testing new technology designed to help decide whether the ball went out of play before a goal was scored. 

The system, called “Out of Bounds”, was trialled during three Intercontinental Cup matches in Qatar this month.

The technology uses the same tracking data as semi-automated offside systems and aims to give clearer decisions when cameras cannot prove if the ball crossed the line. It is still in testing and has not yet been approved for use in domestic leagues.

Fifa has also expanded its Real-time 3D Recreation system to make offside and line-of-sight decisions faster and easier to understand. Virtual camera views show what both goalkeepers can see and are available to VAR officials and TV viewers.

These tools could help prevent controversial decisions seen in recent seasons, such as goals being allowed when officials could not confirm if the ball went out of play, or debates over whether a player blocked a goalkeeper’s view.

During the Intercontinental Cup final, Paris St-Germain’s Fabian Ruiz had a goal ruled out after the new system showed the ball had gone out of play.

Fifa is also testing quicker offside alerts sent directly to assistant referees to reduce delayed flags. This follows safety concerns after Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi suffered a serious injury last season when play continued despite a clear offside.