Fully-funded PhD: Evaluating Football Officiating Technologies

Technological innovations, such as Video Assistant Refereeing and semi-automated offside detection, have transformed the way football refereeing decisions are supported and scrutinised, setting new expectations for accuracy, consistency, and decision times. However, the growth of technological solutions has also raised new challenges. Systems vary in their design and application across countries and competitions, and questions remain on effectiveness, accessibility, and broader impact on the game. 

To ensure that technology in football continues to enhance, rather than complicate, the role of referees, there is a pressing need for systematic and evidence-based research that goes beyond surface-level evaluations by providing a structured approach to logging, analysing, and interpreting decision-making processes. Such analysis is essential to identify blind spots in current systems, highlight opportunities for improvement, and determine which emerging technologies show the most promise for global adoption.

The project forms part of an exciting new research and innovation partnership between Manchester Metropolitan University and FIFA’s Innovation Department and aims to develop ongoing work on technology in soccer. This is a full-time, funded PhD opportunity open to home students only.

Project aims and objectives

The overarching aim of this project is to provide a critical evaluation of where and how current technologies succeed or fail in aiding football referees.

Project Objectives

1. Identify the comparative strengths and weaknesses of different technologies in supporting referees.
2. Examine how these technologies are applied and adapted in different countries, leagues, and competitions.
3. Map areas where blind spots or inconsistencies occur in the decision-making process.
4. Design systems and processes which allow for the effective analysis of officiating decisions using a variety of different technologies across a diverse set of contexts
5. Develop recommendations for how FIFA can most effectively invest in and guide the future of referee-assistive technologies.