A semi-automated offside system could be used at the World Cup in Qatar with the International Football Association Board set to discuss the introduction of the technology today.
The optical tracking system was trialled at the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi and at the Arab Cup in Qatar.
The IFAB will not itself decide whether the technology should be in place at the World Cup but if it offers approval then world football's governing body could go ahead with its introduction.
Fifa said the semi-automated offside system still needs to be evaluated and that it is meant to be "an additional tool to help the VAR".
Pierluigi Collina, chairman of Fifa's referees committee, said earlier this year that the use of Video Assistant Referees, starting at the 2018 World Cup, had been "very successful" but that making offside decisions semi-automated would mean greater accuracy and greater speed.
The data-driven, limb-tracking technology uses both dedicated and broadcast cameras around the stadium to give the exact position of players on the pitch, offering referees precise information within seconds. The aim is for the system to generate 29 data points per player - tracking the various parts of the body to create a skeletal, three-dimensional model.
Once a final decision is made, the technology turns the images into a 3D animation that can be displayed on the big screen at grounds.
The term "semi-automated" is used because Fifa insist that match officials will still make the final call, with a dedicated VAR assistant in place to monitor offsides.
The system is an additional tool designed 'to help the VAR'. REUTERS
Pierluigi Collina
