Technology AI, Science and New Things
This year’s Euros revolve around an innovation – a hidden sensor suspended in each match ball. The bungee-held sphere located precisely at the ball’s centre (to ensure balance) beams data on location and speed 500 times a second to referees. With 10 cameras placed around the stadium continuously tracking 29 individual points on each player’s body (30,000 data points per second), the video assistant referee (VAR) is meant to have all the data to make big decisions correctly. So far things seem to be working. VAR was busy in Germany’s opener versus Scotland on Friday when a red card, penalty, and offside were all decided quickly and correctly (depending on your allegiance). Organisers of England’s football leagues should take notice. The embattled English VAR system – which uses a tech-free ball and hand-drawn lines for offside decisions – seems to make more drama than correct calls.
