Why fans still confused by Premier League offside technology
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The hand-drawn lines, endless frame-by-frame scrutiny and subjective interpretation were supposed to be consigned to history.
To an extent, that has happened. But a growing number of supporters now believe the system has simply replaced one problem with another - a lack of transparency.
Whilst the new technology delivers slick 3D animations instead of crude television overlays, recent decisions have exposed a fundamental issue: fans are often left unsure why a decision has been given.
The Little-Known 5cm Margin for Error
At the heart of the confusion is a rule many supporters are still unaware of.Unlike most other competitions, where offside decisions are judged to the millimetre, the Premier League operates with a five-centimetre tolerance level.
This margin - effectively the width of the green offside line - has been in place since the 2020/21 season.
The logic is simple: no technology is perfect, so a margin of error accounts for possible inaccuracies in tracking limbs and body positioning.
However, that tolerance creates knock-on problems.
Because of it, the offside animation shown on broadcasts does not always align precisely with the players.
In close calls, the green vertical line may appear to stop at a defender's arm or shoulder, even though the system internally projects it higher to a different body part.
To viewers at home, the graphic can look misleading - or even wrong.
Why Fans Are Left Guessing
Two high-profile incidents this weekend have reignited the debate, with images circulating online showing the green offside line apparently ending at a defender's arm.Within the system, the line actually continues upward to the correct legal point of contact, but viewers are given no visual indication of that.
The result? Fans are expected to trust a decision without being able to properly see or understand it.
A similar issue arose earlier this season when Burnley had a goal disallowed at Manchester United, with Lyle Foster deemed offside by an almost indistinguishable part of his upper arm.
The decision may have been technically correct, but few watching could tell why.
For all the investment poured into offside technology, clarity remains elusive.
The Wirtz Incident Highlights the Problem
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The Premier League Match Centre later stated:
VAR checked the referee's call of no goal - and established that Wirtz was in an onside position and recommended that the goal was awarded.Whilst the correct outcome may have been reached, the prolonged delay - and the unclear visuals - only fuelled frustration.
Is the Solution Better Communication?
Semi-automated offside technology was designed to remove subjectivity and speed up decisions.Instead, supporters are now questioning what part of the body is being measured, where the line truly sits, and how the tolerance is applied.
One simple fix could help: visually displaying the tolerance zone within the animation.
That would immediately explain why marginal calls go one way rather than another and prevent situations where the graphic appears out of sync with reality.
Until then, fans are being asked to accept decisions they cannot clearly see - the very problem the technology was meant to solve.
The Premier League may have eliminated the arguments about drawing lines, but it has not yet won the battle for trust and understanding.
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