Artificial intelligence is penetrating all spheres. Sports are no exception. In refereeing, AI already helps determine offside, simulations, even roughness. In 2026, at the World Cup, AI assistants will be used for the first time. We tell you how it works, what it gives, and whether AI can completely replace a human.
The semi-automatic offside system: cameras track 29 points on a player's body. AI calculates the moment of the pass and the position of players in fractions of a second. The result is displayed on the referee's screen. Simulation detection: analysis of the player's movements (how fast they fall, does it match the contact). AI has learned from thousands of examples. Prediction: the neural network predicts where the ball will go and suggests possible positions of players. Violations: AI notices a tackle without the ball, handball, even rough verbal abuse (analysis of lip movements).
Important: AI only recommends, the decision is up to a human.
Thanks to AI, the number of serious mistakes at the 2026 World Cup may be reduced to 0.
AI does not understand context (e.g., was it intentional?). Cannot determine the "strength of the tackle" (foul or not?). Does not take into account psychology (the heat of passion). Failures: if the camera loses a player (due to blocking). Ethics: players will argue not with the referee, but with a robot. Disputes about millimeters: offside by 1 cm, which does not give an advantage, is still recorded. AI kills emotions (you can't argue with a machine).
Total replacement of a human is a utopia.
From 2026 to 2030, AI will begin to be used to assess the severity of fouls (yellow or red card). AI detectors of racism will appear (read words from the lips). Perhaps AI will predict the outcome of a dispute (a fiction). But the final decision will remain with a human. FIFA will not dare to use a robot referee.
AI in refereeing is an assistant, not a replacement. It reduces errors but does not kill the human factor. Because football is a game of passions, not algorithms.
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