What is semi-automated offside technology and how does it work?

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Semi-automated offside technology will be used in English football for the first time this weekend as it makes its domestic debut in the fifth round of the FA Cup. SAOT will automatically create those points - and the Premier League hopes the technology would reduce the time taken for a VAR check by around 30 seconds. An example of the computer-generated graphic produced by semi-automated offside technology There remains a human element to it, as the VAR may still have to make subjective calls in some cases, such as an offside attacker not touching the ball but interfering with play.