DANISH FOOTBALL UNION SELECTS NEP & EVS' XEEBRA FOR SUPERLIGA VAR ROLLOUT

posted:

10/12/2020

Inside NEP Denmark custom built-in VAR van

EVS’ video assistant referee (VAR) solution Xeebra has been chosen by NEP Denmark to provide exclusive VAR capabilities to the Danish League for its top football tier the 3F Superliga. Built on EVS’ industry-standard replay technology, the system has been deployed since the start of the season and will be used in all matches throughout the 2020/2021season. The deployment is being managed locally by NEP Denmark, a longtime EVS partner that has extensive experience in producing live coverage of Danish football. For this project, NEP is deploying custom-built VAR vans, each equipped with a Xeebra. Each multi-camera review system from EVS supports up to 16 cameras, including Super Motion cameras, and all camera angles can be accessed instantly during a match. This setup enables the VAR, assistant VAR, and replay operator – who are all stationed on-site– to accurately assist the on-field official in their decisions.

With Xeebra, they can easily review any match action and select the most relevant camera angles, with simple touch-and-pinch gestures letting them zoom in and analyze every angle in detail. The solution provides officials with everything they need to make the right call, meaning reviews can be completed quickly, efficiently and in complete synchronization.

NEP Denmark VAR van

As part of the Xeebra deployment, EVS is also supplying its AI-driven virtual offside line, which is certified by FIFA, to automatically calibrate the field of play and produce a virtual offside line in real-time. Using this functionality, the 3F Superliga VAR operators can swiftly add an offside line, enabling them to review player positions with the assurance that they are getting the highest levels of precision. The EVS virtual offside line does not require any complex or time-consuming configuration prior to the match and does not require an extra operator. As a result, the Xeebra replay operator has easy access to all the tools needed to assist the VAR quickly and efficiently.

Xeebra AI-driven virtual offside line

Since the selection of Xeebra as the official VAR system, both the Danish League and NEP have organized extensive trainings in accordance with the IFAB/FIFA protocol for the 3F Superliga officials and replay operators. A combination of theoretical training, simulator training, and practical training using the Xeebra system was used.

“The intuitive nature of Xeebra enables replay operators to be onboarded very quickly, while its user-friendly design means it can be used by less experienced operators compared to other VAR systems,” said François Gillet, Solutions Specialist at EVS.

Henrik Borup Sørensen, Managing Director at NEP Denmark added: “The collaboration with EVS has been very helpful, as its team pro-actively steps in when needed. And the Xeebra system is quick to deploy and easy to manage due to its user-friendly interface, not to mention that the system is stable such as other EVS solutions.

Inside VAR Van

Claus Thomsen, CEO of the Danish League, concludes: “VAR is a game-changing technology and implementing it efficiently requires a certain investment. EVS’ Xeebra stands out in the market with its FIFA-certified AI-driven offside line technology and intuitive controls that are easy to use and don’t compromise on quality. The extensive support and partnership from EVS and NEP in installing the solution for the 3F Superliga has also been excellent and we look forward to seeing how the season ahead will unfold.”