FIFA admits technical glitch affected VAR offside lines in Switzerland-Qatar penalty call

FIFA has addressed controversy surrounding a penalty awarded to Switzerland in their World Cup match against Qatar, which ended 1-1. The organization admitted a technical fault caused the absence of offside lines during the broadcast of the VAR review for the penalty.

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During the match between Qatar and Switzerland in the San Francisco Bay Area, a brief technical interruption prevented the offside graphic animation from being generated before the penalty awarded to Switzerland in the 14th minute. The problem was resolved quickly.

The incident occurred in the first half when a penalty was given after a challenge in the box. While the referee awarded the penalty, questions arose on social media and among viewers due to the lack of the usual graphic lines showing offside positions. This fueled speculation about the validity of the decision.

FIFA clarified that the VAR's operational workflow was not compromised by the brief technical interruption. Crucially, the video officials confirmed that checks of the relevant plays revealed no offside infringements. The lines used by the VAR showed that the attacking player was not in an offside position in the two instances immediately preceding the penalty decision.

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The VAR workflow was not affected by this problem and followed the normal procedure when verifying the decision on the field.

To further quell the debate, FIFA released the specific lines used during the review. This move aims to close the discussion surrounding one of the most talked-about moments from the early stages of the tournament.

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The lines used by the VAR to check the position of the relevant players did not show the attacking player in an offside position in any of the two situations immediately prior to the penalty decision.