VAR referee technology will be replaced by iPhone in the Premier League

Previously, the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup marked an important milestone in football history when the VAR system was applied for the first time in a major tournament, with the expectation that the VAR system would be the "savior" for controversial situations.

After its initial success at the Confederations Cup, the VAR system was quickly adopted by the world's top leagues, most notably the Premier League, which attracts millions of fans. However, alongside its accurate decisions, the VAR system has also caused a fair amount of controversy, especially in recent seasons.

Faced with the limitations of the VAR system, the Premier League will introduce a new system to replace VAR technology for the 2024-2025 season, which promises to bring a breath of fresh air when introducing a new generation offside detection system developed by the world's leading sports data and technology company Genius Sports (UK) and Second Spectrum (USA).

The new system, called “Dragon,” will replace the current VAR technology entirely, opening a new chapter in refereeing technology. The new approach will involve the use of Apple iPhones to assist with offside decisions, marking a significant change in the way referees officiate matches.

The Dragon system uses at least 28 iPhones, version 14 and above, placed around the field to record images of the match from every angle. With high frame rates and water resistance, these iPhones will become the "magic eyes" to help the referee make the most accurate decisions.

What makes the Dragon refereeing system unique is its ability to track a huge amount of data for each player. The system can track between 7,000 and 10,000 data points per player, recording details from body contour, muscle mass to bone structure, all recorded with absolute precision. This level of detail helps ensure more accurate offside decisions.

In addition, with the ability to record 100 frames per second, Dragon can "slow down" time, helping referees carefully review each ball, thereby making the most accurate judgment, even in the most complex situations.

To assist the referee, the iPhones in the Dragon system will send the data collected to artificial intelligence (AI) software to analyze the footage to detect offside situations. However, even with this new technology, the referee still has the final say. This means that the Dragon system is only used to assist the referee, not replace the referees on the field.

Beyond just more accurate offside determinations, the Dragon system also promises to have many potential applications in the future, such as creating digital copies of players for more in-depth analysis. With the Premier League about to introduce this technology, football fans are eagerly waiting to see if the Dragon system can solve the limitations of current VAR, bringing a fairer and more engaging match experience.

The key role of the iPhone in the new system has demonstrated the perfect combination of modern technology and the king of sports. The bold move by the Premier League has not only improved the quality of refereeing but also created a new trend, inspiring other leagues around the world. It can be said that this is a stepping stone for football to move towards a completely new era of refereeing, based on the foundation of advanced technology.