Video analysis was the first technological advancement in football in 1980. The ability to rewatch games and analyze player movement allowed coaches and players to view the game from a completely different angle. Leap forward after 40 years, technology now plays a hugely significant part in the game. From in-game technology that controls how the game is played to health and skill tracking for players. The 2022 World Cup will showcase some of the most recent technology advancements in football, including the high-tech match ball coupled with FIFA’s new Semi-automated Offside Technology (SAOT) and Here is our compilation;
Sensor Soccer Ball
The official World Cup ball contains a lightweight sensor inside, which was put to testing for six years before receiving full FIFA certification. The introduction of new technology at the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar has spiced things up making matches more interesting. Following Portugal’s 2-0 victory over Uruguay at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the sports world and social media exploded with the discussion of Cristiano Ronaldo‘s “hair goal.” The match ball provided by Adidas, the tournament’s official sponsor, revealed that its built-in sensors failed to detect the alleged “hair goal.” According to the brand’s “Connected Ball Technology” and high-precision 500Hz IMU sensor, Ronaldo did not make contact with the ball because no external forces were measured.
Video Assistant Referees (VAR)
This technology was put to the test during the World Cup in 2018 and has been improved for this year’s games. FIFA officials added that the system relies on tracking cameras positioned beneath the roofs of stadiums to track the sensor-filled ball and up to 29 data points on each player’s body 50 times per second. An artificial intelligence system will be fed the data points that track players’ limbs and the location of the ball. This will help referees make accurate decisions about penalties like who is offside. They stated that match officials in a video operation room will be contacted by an automated alert, and they will then validate the decision before informing the referee.
Stadium Cooling
The authorities are relying on a cutting-edge cooling system. FIFA claims that it was designed by Saud Abdulaziz Abdul Ghani, also known as “Dr. Cool,” a Qatari professor. The stadium’s pipes and vents draw air in, cool it, filter it, and then push it out again. According to game officials, it will create a cool bubble within the stadium, where sensors will assist in regulating temperatures. Stadiums are being kept between 64 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit by using insulation and a technology-driven method called “spot cooling,” which allows cooling to occur only where people are.
Cameras and algorithms
According to Qatari officials who spoke with Agence France-Presse in August, command and control centers in Qatar are relying on more than 15,000 cameras to monitor individuals’ movements throughout the games. There are cameras in each of the eight stadiums. According to Al Jazeera, facial recognition technology will be used to track fans in Lusail Stadium, which holds more than 80,000 people and will host the final match. This has raised privacy concerns. Additionally, algorithms are being used to prevent stampedes in the stadium, such as the one that killed more than 130 people at a soccer match in Indonesia last month. Algorithms based on a variety of data points, such as ticket sales and entry points, were used by the command and control team to forecast crowd patterns.
Conclusion
Obviously, there is more to this, than the four technologies we have mentioned here. Technology won’t be able to solve everything, but it is helping. To control nearly every aspect of the games, officials are utilizing sophisticated tools, etc.
