CBF Reviews Genius Sports’ Semi-Automated Offside Technology
Brazil.– 14 November 2025 – www.zonadeazar.com The Brazilian Football Confederation advances refereeing modernisation with AI used in the Premier League
Overview
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has taken an important step towards modernising its refereeing structure by inviting Genius Sports to present its Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) during the launch of the new Refereeing Working Group (GT de Arbitragem).
The solution, already in use in the English Premier League, drew strong interest from Brazilian football authorities. CBF President Samir Xaud expressed his intention to implement the system in the 2026 Brasileirão, positioning the league at the forefront of global adoption of artificial intelligence for offside decisions.
Details / Context
During the inaugural meeting of the new Refereeing Working Group, Genius Sports demonstrated how its semi-automated offside technology combines AI, computer vision and real-time data to assist VAR and on-field referees in complex offside situations.
The presentation took place within a 60-day work plan, during which the group must develop guidelines for modernising refereeing in Brazil, focusing on:
- Professionalisation of the refereeing model
- Standardisation of technological processes
- Gradual implementation of AI-based solutions in national competitions
In his opening speech, Samir Xaud stressed that the CBF already operates one of the world’s most advanced VAR systems, but the objective is to go further. He announced that, from the start of the next Brasileirão, the implementation of semi-automated offside —as part of a broader package of technological investments— is being seriously considered.
Genius Sports had already carried out a first live demonstration of SAOT in Brazil in September, during the Brazil Sports Tech Summit at Estádio do Pacaembu in São Paulo, organised alongside GovRisk. On that occasion, the company’s LatAm VP Guilherme Buso detailed the technical architecture of the system and the requirements for installing it in Brazilian stadiums.
Subtopics
Representation from clubs and federations
The launch of the Refereeing Working Group brought together a wide cross-section of Brazilian football. Representatives from Série A clubs attended, including:
Bahia, Botafogo, Ceará, Cruzeiro, Flamengo, Fluminense, Grêmio, Internacional, Juventude, Mirassol, Palmeiras, Red Bull Bragantino, Santos, Sport, São Paulo, Vasco da Gama and Vitória.
There was also presence from Série B clubs, such as Athletico Paranaense, Atlético Goianiense, Criciúma, Ferroviária, Goiás, Remo and Vila Nova.
In addition, state federations from Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Santa Catarina, Espírito Santo, Distrito Federal, Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Pará, Pernambuco, Piauí, Paraná, São Paulo, Roraima and Sergipe took part, giving the debate a truly national perspective.
How Genius Sports’ SAOT works
The semi-automated offside technology from Genius Sports uses a network of high-precision cameras and AI models to map reference points on players and the ball. Using these data, the system calculates in seconds the relative position of attackers and defenders at the moment the pass is played, producing an automatic offside or onside decision.
Former Premier League assistant referee and current Director of Refereeing at Genius Sports, Harry Lennard, highlighted that one of the system’s main advantages is “restoring the natural flow of information”: the decision is taken on the field, then reviewed by VAR, and with SAOT support, the communication to the referee and the public becomes faster, clearer and more reliable. The aim is to avoid situations where television viewers receive the decision before those inside the stadium.
International experience adapted to Brazil
Genius Sports plays an active role in refereeing professionalisation across several leagues worldwide. On social media, Harry Lennard thanked the CBF for the opportunity to share the experience gained at The Football Association, the Premier League and PGMOL, and to explain how their AI-powered semi-automated offside system has helped deliver faster and more consistent decisions.
Genius Sports’ Communications Director Chris Dougan also underlined the importance of the event, describing it as “an honour to support the launch of a historic working group for Brazilian refereeing” and to demonstrate live how AI technology can transform the experience of referees, clubs and fans.
Future outlook
The potential adoption of semi-automated offside technology in the 2026 Brasileirão represents a turning point for Brazilian football. If implemented, the CBF would join the ranks of the most advanced leagues in the world in the use of AI for refereeing, sending a clear message about:
- Commitment to competitive integrity
- The pursuit of greater transparency in decisions
- Protection of the spectacle and fan confidence
In parallel, the work carried out by the Refereeing Working Group over the next 60 days will be crucial to define standards, protocols and implementation timelines. As this technology consolidates, the expectation is that discussions around controversial calls will gradually shift from suspicion to data-based analysis, strengthening the sport’s credibility.
The partnership between the CBF and Genius Sports —now under evaluation for the 2026 Brasileirão— is emerging as a landmark example of how artificial intelligence and advanced data analysis can become strategic allies of modern sports management.
🔗 Edited by: @_fonta www.zonadeazar.com