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iPhone 17 Pro to play key role in offside calls in Brazil’s top soccer league

Maracanã Stadium was the first to install a 12-rig system containing 28 iPhone 17 Pro units that will help enable semi-automated offside calls. Here are the details.

Four more stadiums confirmed to receive the system

As reported by ge (via MacMagazine), the Brazilian Football Confederation, known locally as CBF, confirmed that Maracanã Stadium has completed installation of a semi-automated offside system powered by 28 iPhone 17 Pro units.

The system reportedly will run using 28 iPhones 17 Pro mounted on 12 rigs around the stadium, recording matches in 4K at a high frame rate to create a digital replica of each play. This will allow officials to assess offside positions more precisely.

CBF says that even though the rigs are now in place at Maracanã, the semi-automated offside system will not be used immediately.

Instead, the system will undergo a period of testing and calibration, while referees are trained to use the technology. Only then will it be approved for use in official Brazilian Série A matches.

Here’s CBF’s president, Samir Xaud, on the rollout of the semi-automated offside system:

“The implementation of semi-automated offside technology is a foundational project for Brazilian football. We are closely monitoring every stage, with responsibility and technical rigor, to ensure that the system is implemented safely, reliably, and in line with international standards. Maracanã plays an important role in this process, and our focus is to ensure that the technology is fully approved before its official use in competitions.”

CBF says that four other stadiums are also confirmed to receive the system: Nilton Santos, Arena MRV, Mineirão, and Mangueirão, although it hasn’t provided a precise timeline for the expansion or the rollout.

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Avatar for Marcus Mendes Marcus Mendes

Marcus Mendes is a Brazilian tech podcaster and journalist who has been closely following Apple since the mid-2000s.

He began covering Apple news in Brazilian media in 2012 and later broadened his focus to the wider tech industry, hosting a daily podcast for seven years.