Tebas Says LaLiga Will Bring Automatic Offside Next Season — And That Could Be a Big Change
This is not just another tech update. It is a credibility story.
Javier Tebas has made clear that LaLiga wants a different offside process next season, moving away from the current system’s dependence on controversial frame selection. In March, he said LaLiga was working toward an automatic offside model using a FIFA-approved chip inside the ball to identify the exact moment of contact. More recently, EFE-reported coverage said Tebas guaranteed semi-automated offside for next season in both Primera and Segunda, with the hope that it will be ready from the opening matchday.
That wording matters. If you are writing this as a clean headline, the safest line is not “LaLiga has officially confirmed fully automatic offside from day one.” The safer line is that Tebas has publicly announced a next-season offside-tech upgrade, but the public descriptions have shifted between automatic and semi-automatic. Until LaLiga publishes a formal technical rollout note, that distinction should not be ignored.
Still, the direction is obvious — and understandable.
LaLiga’s current offside process has taken too much heat. Reports in Spain have pointed to cases where semi-automated offside technology struggled in crowded penalty-box situations, forcing VAR officials back into manual line work and reigniting the same arguments the technology was supposed to reduce. Football España described repeated issues with player-density situations and incorrect modelling, while Cadena SER reported another semi-automated failure in March.
That is why Tebas’ message lands. The political point behind it is simple: LaLiga wants fewer grey-zone debates over “the frame,” fewer long explanations, and fewer situations where fans feel a supposedly modern process still depends too much on human interpretation. AS and Cadena SER both reported Tebas explicitly pushing for a system that removes the need to “play with the famous frames.”
From a refereeing point of view, that is a smart goal.
But there is also a danger in overselling it. Better offside technology can make decisions faster and sometimes clearer, but it does not solve every refereeing problem. It will not end arguments about fouls before the pass, handball before the phase, or whether VAR should intervene in subjective incidents. Even FIFA’s own recent work has been about improving and speeding up offside alerts, not pretending technology removes the need for judgment everywhere else. Reuters reported in December that FIFA had trialled an advanced version of semi-automated offside that sent certain alerts directly to assistant referees to reduce delays.
So our verdict is straightforward:
This is a good move for LaLiga — if it delivers real clarity.
Spanish football has had too many offside moments where the technology looked less decisive than advertised. If Tebas’ new push reduces manual intervention and restores confidence in the process, it will be a genuine step forward. But until LaLiga clearly defines whether the 2026-27 model is truly automatic or still an upgraded semi-automatic version, the league should be careful not to market certainty before it has fully earned it.
The VAR Verdict:
LaLiga is right to push for a better offside system next season. The idea is strong. The need is real. But the league now has to match the headline with a clear, transparent rollout — because in officiating technology, trust is built by precision, not slogans.
