La Liga goes further than VAR: fully automatic offside from the 2026/27 season

Spanish La Liga president Javier Tebas confirmed in April 2026 that the top Spanish competition plans to deploy fully automated offside technology (FAOT) as early as the upcoming 2026/27 season. The system will be valid for both La Liga and the second division — Segunda División.

The fundamental difference from the current semi-automated solution (SAOT), which FIFA has been deploying since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, is that the human referee at the VAR screen will not have to manually verify each case. The decision will come automatically, almost instantly, and the result will be displayed directly on the sideline screen and in an audible signal to the main referee's earpiece.

For the system to function, all Spanish stadiums must undergo infrastructure modernization — the installation of dense networks of high-speed cameras monitoring every centimeter of the pitch. Coordination is taking place with the active participation of FIFA, which must approve the technology and standardize requirements for different match ball manufacturers.

Chip in the ball: a small sensor with great power

A key element of the entire system is an electronic chip embedded directly in the ball. At this year's 2026 World Cup, the game is played with the Trionda ball from Adidas — the name refers to the three host countries (USA, Canada, Mexico) and the Spanish word for waves.

The technical parameters are impressive:

• The chip weighs approximately 14 grams and is located in the side of the ball
• It senses movement 500 times per second
• It transmits data on the ball's speed, rotation, position, and trajectory in real time
• It charges wirelessly in a docking station — a full charge takes about 90 minutes, and battery life is roughly 6 hours
• The chip automatically switches to hibernation mode as soon as the ball leaves the playing area

The accuracy of determining the ball's position at kick-off is less than 10 centimeters, with the entire processing and evaluation taking a maximum of 100 milliseconds — so fast that the human eye doesn't even register it.

29 points on a player: how AI "sees" football

The chip in the ball alone is not enough. The SAOT system (and its fully automated successor) works with a second layer of data — tracking player movement. On each stadium, 12 to 16 optical cameras are installed, continuously scanning the field and creating a 3D model of all players on the pitch.

The algorithm identifies 29 key body points for each player — shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, and other joints — and tracks their position 50 times per second. From this data, AI reconstructs a virtual "avatar" of each player in real time and compares their position with the moment the pass was played, precisely determined by the chip in the ball.

As a result, the system knows with centimeter accuracy whether the player was behind the last defender at the moment the ball was played or not. And the entire processing does not take minutes, but fractions of a second.

It was this technology that helped resolve one of the most famous controversial moments in recent football history: at the 2022 World Cup, the system meticulously checked whether Cristiano Ronaldo actually touched the ball with his head in Portugal's match against Uruguay. The result? The chip recorded that no additional force acted on the ball, and the goal was awarded to Bruno Fernandes.

Referees as cyborgs: AI speaks into the ear and on the wrist

Fully automated offsides are just one part of a larger technological shift. At the 2026 World Cup, referees are equipped with earpieces connected to an AI system that immediately reports key decisions to them. When an offside is detected, the system repeats into the ear: "offside, offside, offside".

In addition, referees receive notifications on smartwatches. If a situation requires a shorter video review before the final verdict, the watch displays the message "delay" — so the referee knows to wait a moment before waving the flag.

Despite this technological armament, one important rule applies: the referee always has the final say. AI assists, it does not decide. The system provides data and recommendations, but the human referee must confirm the verdict. Technology thus far tends to eliminate gross errors rather than completely replacing human judgment.

La Liga goes even further: AI will evaluate the referees themselves

La Liga is preparing another step that distinguishes Spanish football from the rest of the world. Referees will be more often in front of cameras from the 2026/27 season, and artificial intelligence will help them not only during the matches themselves but also in evaluating their performance and career progression.

Until now, referee evaluation was mostly subjective — commissioners watched recordings and gave point ratings. The new system aims to objectify this evaluation using data: reaction speed, movement on the pitch, correctness of position in key situations — all this can be measured and compared.

This is a sensitive topic. La Liga referees traditionally belong to the best in the world, yet Spanish football struggles with controversies regarding the quality of officiating. AI evaluation could bring greater transparency — but it also raises questions about whether human judgment can be fully replaced by numbers.

What this means for football — and why we should care

These technologies are not yet deployed in the Czech football league. The League Football Association (LFA) has been using the VAR system since the 2021/22 season, but chipped balls or automated offside systems are not yet on the agenda here. The reason is simple: it is a very expensive infrastructure that requires stadium modernization and sophisticated data facilities.

Nevertheless, the development in La Liga and at the 2026 World Cup is a signal of where the entire sport is heading. In five to ten years, these technologies will likely be standard even in Central European leagues. The ability of AI to process hundreds of millions of data points per match and yet provide a result faster than the human eye — this is a shift that is irrevocably changing football.

For fans, this brings a clear promise: fewer controversial offsides, fewer lengthy VAR checks, and more fluid play. Whether this will enrich football or, conversely, diminish some of its drama, is a question that is still passionately debated — and one for which AI does not yet offer an answer.

Sources and further reading

Goal.com: La Liga to introduce fully automated offside from the 2026/27 season | Chip.cz: How AI speaks into referees' ears at the 2026 World Cup | fZone: The smart Trionda ball at the 2026 World Cup | Livesport.cz: How AI detects offside instantly