New offside technology aims to curb "complaining arm"

Has the "complaining arm," which has gained dubious notoriety thanks to Manuel Neuer, become obsolete? The new semi-automatic offside technology in the Bundesliga is intended to contribute to this.

There are a few gestures in football that have a rather high irritating factor. Before a corner, for example, many professionals, like national team captain Joshua Kimmich, raise a hand. However, this is often not followed by a rehearsed version, but rather by a cross at the shin level of the first defender.

Badstübner has a little hope

Similarly, Neuer's so-called "complaining arm," which can be described as a reflex, is dispensable: When a goal is conceded, the Bayern icon raises his arm as a precautionary reminder to everyone involved about the offside issue. This hasn't changed since the introduction of VAR, and every goal is checked for accuracy anyway.

But now there's hope, at least among referees. The semi-automatic offside technology, which will be introduced in the Bundesliga 1 and 2 starting next season, has prompted Bundesliga and FIFA referee Florian Badstübner to believe that something might change in the behavior of the professionals: "Maybe we'll actually manage to get the goalkeepers to stop raising their arms," he said at a media event hosted by the DFB Schiri GmbH in Frankfurt am Main, but he couldn't help but smile.

"Simply faster with this system"

The 34-year-old from Windsbach was referring to a gesture of protest that's extremely popular among professionals. The fact is that the technical innovation is becoming even more sophisticated in checking potential offside positions for goals. "We're simply faster with this system," explained Knut Kircher, Managing Director of Schiri GmbH at the German Football Association.

Ansgar Schwenken, Director of Match Operations and Fans at the German Football League, speaks of a significant simplification: "As soon as a possible offside position is identified, the system creates a suggestion for the video assistant. He can then quickly check it again." Hence the term "semi-automatic" – the VAR checks the virtual offside line and passes its decision on to the referee.

SAOT is the name of the new offside technology

The semi-automatic offside technology is known in technical jargon as Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT). Detection is based on data captured by special high-resolution cameras in stadiums. These are capable of tracking the movements of players and the ball in real time. Artificial intelligence analyzes this data to calculate the exact positions of the players and the ball, according to the DFB.

The results of the offside detection are displayed graphically in an animation on the television signal. The DFB and DFL intend to handle this "very transparently." Schwenken added: "In cases of absolute doubt, the referee will not award a penalty against the attacker." The DFL did not provide any information on the costs. They are said to be manageable and will be borne by the Bundesliga clubs.