Genius Sports was invited by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) to present its proprietary offside technology, already in use in the English Premier League. Both parties are currently in discussions for the possible adoption of Genius Sports’ solution in the 2026 Brasileirão.
The working group (WG) will establish guidelines within 60 days for the modernization of refereeing, with the professionalization model as a priority. The implementation of semi-automatic offside detection is another investment the CBF may make toward the modernization of Brazilian football. Although the current technology is already among the most advanced, the introduction of the semi-automatic system is seen as a step toward providing more accurate, agile, and transparent decisions.
“Our focus is on the future. This new administration is heavily investing in technology. The VAR system we currently use is already one of the most advanced in the world. But we want more. Starting January 28, at the opening of the Brazilian Championship, the semi-automatic offside system will be implemented,” said CBF President Samir Xaud in his opening remarks at the event.
In September, Genius Sports made the first presentation of its innovative Semi-Automatic Offside Technology (SAOT) in Brazil. The demonstration took place during the Brazil Sports Tech Summit, organized by Genius Sports and GovRisk at Pacaembu Stadium in São Paulo.
On that occasion, Guilherme Buso, VP LatAm at Genius Sports, explained in an exclusive interview with GMB how SAOT works, the technology behind it, and how the system would be installed in Brazilian stadiums to serve the Brasileirão.
The launch of the Refereeing Working Group brought together representatives from Serie A clubs — Bahia, Botafogo, Ceará, Cruzeiro, Flamengo, Fluminense, Grêmio, Internacional, Juventude, Mirassol, Palmeiras, Red Bull Bragantino, Santos, Sport, São Paulo, Vasco da Gama, and Vitória — as well as from Serie B clubs — Athletico Paranaense, Atlético Goianiense, Criciúma, Ferroviária, Goiás, Remo, and Vila Nova.
Federations from Amazonas, Bahia, Ceará, Santa Catarina, Espírito Santo, the Federal District, Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Pará, Pernambuco, Piauí, Paraná, São Paulo, Roraima, and Sergipe also attended the meeting.
As part of the program, the CBF invited international specialists, including former Premier League assistant referee Harry Lennard, now Director of Officiating at Genius Sports. Lennard spoke about the professionalization process in the English league and the global impact of semi-automatic offside technology.
“I think the biggest advantage is restoring the natural flow of information: the ball goes in, a decision is made, VAR makes the call, VAR passes it to the referee, and the referee announces it to the world. In the current system, when you’re drawing the lines, people at home know the decision before those on the pitch do. Our system aims to restore the natural flow of information and deliver faster, more reliable, and more credible decisions,” he said.
On social media, the executive thanked the CBF for inviting him as the keynote speaker at the Referees Working Group. “I was invited to participate in the discussion to share my experiences with the professionalization of assistant referees at The Football Association, The Premier League, and PGMOL, and to discuss how our AI-powered Semi-Automatic Offside solution is producing faster and more consistent decisions, revolutionizing the fan experience and the refereeing ecosystem.”
Chris Dougan, Director of Communications at Genius Sports, also highlighted the company’s presence at the CBF event: “It was a great honor for Genius Sports to be invited by the CBF to support the launch of its historic Referees Working Group. This opportunity allowed us to demonstrate to the Federation, clubs, referees, and other key stakeholders how our AI-powered semi-automatic offside technology is transforming the world of football officiating. Thank you to President Samir Xaud, Rodrigo C. Davi Feques, and Raimundo Góes Netto for this privilege.”
Source: GMB
