AFA expands Genius Sports deal for offside technology

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has extended its partnership with Genius Sports to deploy semi-automated offside technology across the country’s top division, establishing tracking infrastructure that could also support broadcasting and coaching services.The system will debut at the Torneo Clausura final on December 12, with full deployment across the Liga Profesional de Fútbol planned before the 2027 Clausura tournament begins in July.AFA president Claudio Tapia said: “Argentinian football fans deserve the best matchday experience and semi-automated offside technology is a crucial solution for delivering fast and accurate decisions that keep them informed of what is happening in the game. Genius Sports has developed and launched the most advanced SAOT in world football with proven results across the biggest leagues, and we’re delighted to expand our partnership with them.”The agreement builds on a relationship that began in 2019 with betting integrity services and expanded in 2021 to include betting data and live streaming rights across 13 AFA competitions.The latest deployment will use Genius Sports’ GeniusIQ platform to process footage from computer vision cameras installed at top-flight stadiums.Those cameras will track player movement and positioning, creating a digital representation of the action to help video assistant referees assess potential offside incidents.The system automatically identifies when the ball is played and alerts VAR operators to possible offences, reducing the need to review footage manually.It will also generate three-dimensional visualisations for broadcasters and stadium screens after the officiating process, allowing supporters to see the positioning behind a decision.Genius Sports says its technology has reduced average offside decision times by more than 30% across major competitions, with its deployments including the Premier League, Liga MX and Brazil’s Série A.Beyond officiating, the company and AFA intend to explore further uses for the tracking infrastructure, including team analysis, enhanced television coverage and supporter engagement.Genius Sports chief commercial strategy officer Steven Burton said: “The most exciting thing about this partnership is that we’re bringing our proven GeniusIQ technology to Argentine football to make officiating faster, more accurate and more transparent.“At the same time, we’re establishing the infrastructure for a much bigger opportunity: to unlock new insights for teams, richer experiences for broadcasters and entirely new ways for fans to engage with the game. That’s the future we’re building with partners like AFA, where a single technology platform can create value across the entire football ecosystem.”The phased introduction gives AFA an initial deployment at its December final before extending the service throughout the league, with the wider broadcasting and analytical applications remaining areas for future development.