A complex artificial intelligence system will be used at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
A lot of data points are taken into account by the technology. A sensor at the center of the ball relays its exact location 500 times per second, while a dozen strategically placed cameras continuously collect data from 29 points on players' bodies.
If a player is caught offsides, the system will alert a control room team, who will flag the player and send the information to the field refs.
The video assistant referee (VAR) was used at the World Cup, but it was a controversial one.
In the competitive and moneyed world of professional sports, this new addition to the game is a sign of things to come, with referees giving artificial intelligence unprecedented control over the game.
Human refs are not out of a job yet, according to the organization.
Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, said in a press release that it was not a robot. The decision on the field of play is still in the hands of the referees and assistant referees.
The integration is believed to help game speed and referee accuracy. Players won't have to wait for decisions to be made, and refs will have plenty of supplemental information with which to make difficult calls.
With artificial intelligence on their side, oft-heckled referees could face less sideline harassment from coaches and fans.
It will be interesting to see how the technology works. It feels like a significant step in the future of athletics if the world's number one sport embraces this new degree of artificial intelligence.
The robot umpires make their professional baseball debut.
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