SMART VAR Offside Detection for Real-Time Football Decisions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing football offside decision systems, such as VAR, rely on manual frame tagging and human intervention, leading to inconsistent interpretations, delays, and subjective bias, with semi-automatic tools still requiring operator input and taking up to three minutes for offside determinations.

Innovation Solution

A SMART VAR system utilizing a smart video referee device with a camera, memory, and alert device, employing object detection (YOLOv8), image processing (OpenCV), and image annotation (Roboflow) modules to autonomously track players and the ball, apply offside rules, and provide real-time alerts for offside decisions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual replay review is used for offside decisions, then human interpretation is applied, but the process takes up to 10 seconds and yields inconsistent interpretations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconsistency of offside decisionsVSAvoidtime for offside determination

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of frame tagging and line drawing with an automated computer vision system using machine learning models. The system automatically detects player positions, draws offside lines, and makes decisions without human intervention in real-time, eliminating both the time delay and inconsistency of manual review.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-service by autonomously completing the entire offside decision process. The machine learning model automatically processes video feeds, identifies players, determines offside positions, and generates decisions without requiring human operators to manually tag frames or draw lines, achieving both speed and consistency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If semi-automatic line-drawing solutions are used, then some delay is reduced, but operator input is still required and decisions are not fully automated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed of offside determinationVSAvoidlevel of human intervention

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The system achieves full automation by making the machine self-sufficient in the offside decision process. The machine learning model independently performs all tasks including player detection, position determination, offside line drawing, and decision generation without any human operator input, maximizing both productivity and extent of automation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the human operator from the decision-making process entirely. By removing the need for operator input for line placement and judgment, the system achieves complete automation while maintaining high speed determination through efficient machine learning algorithms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If traditional VAR systems are used, then human error is reduced in critical decisions, but manual frame tagging and line drawing introduce delays and subjective bias

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of offside decisionsVSAvoidtime for manual processing

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical operations of frame tagging and line drawing with automated machine learning processes. This substitution eliminates the time-consuming manual operations while maintaining or improving decision accuracy through objective algorithmic processing rather than subjective human judgment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system achieves both high reliability and speed by making the decision process self-service through automated machine learning. The model independently and accurately determines offside decisions without human intervention, eliminating both the time delay and subjective bias inherent in manual VAR operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Measurement precision

If chips are placed in football and on players' persons, then relative position can be determined, but logistical issues arise and determination takes up to three minutes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveposition tracking accuracyVSAvoidtime for offside determination

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the physical chip-based tracking system with a computer vision-based optical system. By using machine learning models to process video feeds and detect player positions, the system achieves accurate position tracking without the logistical complexity of deploying and managing physical chips on players and balls, while dramatically reducing determination time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20250391168A1Algorithm and methods for automation of offside decisions

Publication Date: 2025.12.25 HAMAD BIN KHALIFA UNIVERSITY

AI summary

Example systems, methods, and apparatus are disclosed herein for the automation of offside decisions. A smart video assistant referee (SMART VAR) is provided for the processing of streams of sequential images from a video of a football game for a real-time determination of whether an offside infraction has occurred. The SMART VAR uses coordinates of the left-most and right-most player of each opposing team, as well as the coordinates and direction of movement of the ball to determine whether a player is in an offsides position and whether an offside infraction has occurred as a result.