The Premier League are set to make adjustments to their VAR procedures with a key rule change, which will impact Tottenham.
The Premier League has announced that it will be making changes to the way it uses VAR for the 2024/25 season.
It comes after a campaign that has overseen plenty of controversy when it comes to refereeing decisions and the use of technology.
Tottenham have seen more than their fair share of reviews that have changed how their games have played out, from defeat to Chelsea to victory over Liverpool.
With each passing year, it appears as though VAR continues to be tweaked in order to continue improving its usage in the Premier League.
READ MORE: Fifth Champions League place explained as Tottenham could benefit from rule change
VAR offside rule change
The Premier League has announced that, following a vote from the shareholder clubs, Semi-Automatic Offsides will be used from 2024/25.
The statement reads: “At a Premier League Shareholders’ meeting today, clubs unanimously agreed to the introduction of Semi-Automated Offside Technology.
“The new system will be used for the first time in the Premier League next season, and it is anticipated the technology will be ready to be introduced after one of the autumn international breaks.
“The technology will provide quicker and consistent placement of the virtual offside line, based on optical player tracking, and will produce high-quality broadcast graphics to ensure an enhanced in-stadium and broadcast experience for supporters.”
Semi-automatic offside rule explained
The semi-automatic offsides for VAR have been implemented in the Champions League as well as the World Cup.
Several cameras around the stadium capture movement, while sensors within the ball will pick up when the ball is passed.
This means the system can generate a 3D image that shows the offside at the exact moment, rather than using frames from video footage and the naked eye.
The reason it is semi-automatic and not fully automatic is because of rules surrounding interference, as it’ll be down to the officials to decide if a player in an offside position is interfering with play or not.
Tottenham vs Liverpool VAR decision
Tottenham have already seen first hand exactly how VAR and offsides can lead to some confusion and errors.
In their clash with Liverpool, forward Luis Diaz was played through on goal and scored, but was flagged as offside.
A VAR check cleared the decision, but it was later noticed that the Colombian international was onside and it was a clear error.
While in this case, it appeared to be a lapse in concentration and a lack of clear communication, the use of semi-automatic offsides could streamline the whole process.
VAR continues to be debated in the Premier League, however the new processes may help move it towards a more favourable position.