Semi-automated offside is coming for the World Cup. Here’s how one referee uses it

Micheal Barwegen is now a fixture along MLS touchlines.Photograph: Jeremy Olson/ISI Photos/Getty ImagesThe 2026 World Cup will be the first edition of the tournament to feature semi-automated offside technology, utilizing a dozen cameras to track player movement at a rate of 50 stills per second. In theory, it sounds like an effective, if dizzying, way to cut down on delays and better aid the officials.One of those officials is Micheal Barwegan, who is part of the first all-Canadian officiating