The upcoming 2026 World Cup is poised to make history by introducing semi-automated offside technology, which will employ twelve cameras to monitor player movements at an astonishing rate of 50 frames per second. This innovative approach aims to minimize interruptions in gameplay while providing enhanced support for match officials.
Micheal Barwegan, a member of the inaugural all-Canadian officiating team in men’s World Cup history, is one of these officials. Teaming up with referee Drew Fischer and assistant referee Lyes Arfa, Barwegan has developed a strong collaborative dynamic over the last two years, having officiated together at both the 2024 Olympics and the previous summer’s Club World Cup, in addition to their routine assignments in club soccer.
This summer marks not Barwegan’s first experience with semi-automated technology. He previously served on the touchline during Botafogo’s historic victory over Paris Saint-Germain at the Club World Cup.
Barwegan acknowledges that while the technology enhances his officiating capabilities, it does not replace the critical thinking required of an assistant referee.
“I’m going to tell you, the semi-automated system is not perfect,” Barwegan stated. “As a result, our responsibilities remain unchanged. It is really, really good – I like to say I’m a little bit better – but that’s purely a technical aspect regarding how it’s programmed.”
He further explained,
“It tracks every player, and it identifies points on each of those players. I would say it is as accurate as an assistant referee, if not better, for typical offside judgments. Its precision is remarkable.”
The multitude of cameras meticulously tracks players’ positions to determine if an attacker is poised to receive a pass beyond the last two defenders. When the system detects a clear offside situation, it alerts the assistant referees with an automated message stating “offside, offside, offside” through their earpieces. Since last summer’s Club World Cup, being deemed “clearly offside” requires a distance of more than 10 centimeters between the attacker and defender.
If the situation approaches the threshold, the assistant referee hears “delay” in their earpiece. In cases where a clear offside cannot be determined—either due to minimal gaps between players or off-ball movements complicating the assessment—no message is conveyed. Throughout, the assistant referees must continue their usual duties, allowing play to proceed as long as the situation remains ambiguous.
These automated notifications are exclusively received by assistant referees, who maintain constant communication with the head referee during the match. Barwegan and his colleagues have started to share insights from the semi-automated system as a vital part of their roles.
“The benefit for us during those plays is that the system does not make a decision until the offside-positioned player touches the ball,” Barwegan explained. “When the ball is played and a player is sprinting, I quickly communicate whether he’s offside or in the clear to the referee in his earpiece before any further decision needs to be made. The computer processes this rapidly, but on the field, it feels like an eternity.”
Barwegan, who also teaches math and enjoys board games, began his officiating journey at the age of 12, initially seeking to earn some extra cash. Within five years, he discovered he preferred officiating over playing, even though he admits he “wasn’t that good” as a player.
“Some people say, ‘I need to go for a run,’” Barwegan remarked. “I clearly still need to do that, as I have to run as a referee. I enjoy stimulating my mind. I like studying rules, interpreting them, and understanding how systems function together.”
By 2012, he was officiating professional matches. His brother, Brian, also pursued a path in officiating, ultimately refereeing high school and college games for 17 years.
As Brian prepared to retire in 2025, he had one request: he wanted Micheal to be his assistant referee.
“I texted my manager with a peculiar request: can you assign me to Toronto?” Micheal recalled. “He responded, ‘Nobody wants to go to Toronto when it might be cold. What are you thinking?’”
The reasoning was straightforward: Toronto was the only venue close enough to Brian’s home in Alberta, allowing Micheal to officiate a professional game on Saturday and still make it back in time for Brian’s final match.
After officiating Toronto FC’s 4-2 victory over Orlando City, Micheal hopped on a flight and arrived at the University of Lethbridge just in time for the Pronghorns’ matchup against the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
“I came rushing in, suited up, and put on my badge before heading out there,” Barwegan said. “They were yelling at me non-stop. Just 14 hours earlier, I officiated an MLS game. I know what offside is, I promise.”
