CBF confirms semi-automatic offside in Brasileirão

The first matches that will feature the new tool will be between Santos x Chapecoense, at Vila Belmiro, and between Athletico-PR x Internacional, at Arena da Baixada, on the 25th, starting at 6:30 pm (Brasília time). The other eight games in the 20th round will also have the technology.

Semi-automatic offside is a technology integrated with VAR (Video Assistant Referee) that uses cameras and artificial intelligence to track players and the ball throughout the match, accurately identifying the exact moment of the pass to automatically calculate the offside position.

The system speeds up the analysis of moves and provides a 3D reconstruction to assist the referee, but the final decision remains the responsibility of the referees.

In November 2025, during the inaugural meeting of the CBF Arbitration Working Group, the entity's president, Samir Xaud, had confirmed that the semi-automatic offside would be introduced from the 2026 season onwards, without specifying a date at the time.

According to the CBF, since then, 20 stadiums have been visited by technical teams from the Confederation and Genius Sports, the company responsible for providing the system for Brazilian football.

In addition to the 19 stadiums used by clubs in Series A of the Brazilian Championship, Arena Barueri will also feature semi-automatic offside technology. Palmeiras will act as home team when Nubank Parque is unavailable to host an official football match this season.

"When we made the commitment to implement semi-automatic offside, we made it clear that the modernization of arbitration would be a priority for our management. Today we deliver this technology to Brazilian football after a careful process of planning, testing and training. It is an investment that brings the Brazilian Championship closer to the highest international standards and reinforces our commitment to transparency, sporting justice and the credibility of the competitions promoted by the CBF", said Xaud in a statement.

According to the CBF, each stadium was equipped with between 28 and 32 dedicated cameras, supported by five local servers that guarantee the system's connectivity. The captured images will be transmitted in real time to the CBF's VAR Operations Center in Rio de Janeiro.

The new system will be powered by the GeniusIQ AI and data platform, with billions of data points captured by dedicated cameras in each stadium.

The captured data is transmitted to the VAR room, where it will be combined with player tracking information generated by cameras positioned throughout the stadium.

It then automatically identifies potential offside situations, selects the relevant attacking and defending players and locates the exact point of the shot before producing a 3D visualization of the offside decision within seconds.

"The integration of these technologies allows for a more precise analysis of offside situations and handball situations", explained the CBF.

Implementation of the new system also involved comprehensive training for referees, VAR officials and technical staff, as well as testing during official matches and simulated scenarios that validated the system before its debut at the Brazilian Championship.

"Its main objective is to provide greater precision, transparency and speed in the analysis of offside situations, especially the more complex ones, contributing to increasingly consistent decisions and strengthening the confidence of everyone involved in the game", stated Sandro Meira Ricci, president of the CBF arbitration committee.

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