In a game where one decision can have a huge influence over the progression and final result, human decision still plays a huge role in the more pivotal parts of current football games and is something that comes under criticism quite often – given there are even betting options through the biggest operators like those at these paypal betting sites for how many cards there may be in a game or which players may get sent off, it’s something that has needed evolution for quite some time now, and the answer may be just around the corner.
Since it’s introduction a couple of years ago, Virtual Assistant Refereeing or VAR has received its fair share of criticism and that’s largely down to the human factor still – on-field referees may overrule anything that the VAR shows for both good, and more often for poor decisions too. Some of the criticism also comes down to how long it may take to review the VAR footage which may also sway on-field referees’ decision simply to get the game moving forward again – as such having technology that can remove some of the decision making in a timely manner may be what’s needed for football consistency.
Robot refs aren’t what they sound like, it won’t be machine men stepping out onto the pitch but will instead be a number of cameras installed into the roofing of the football stadiums as something of an extension to VAR – the limb tracking technology can track up to 29 points for each player on the field and will hopefully provide faster decisions for on field decisions like offsides with closer player tracking. If this technology can overcome the downside of the current VAR system which is within the time it takes to analyze the footage, then many of the criticisms may also disappear.
It’s currently being trialed throughout games in the Middle East in hopes that the technology will be ready for the 2022 World Cup and be used widely as a testing ground there – success will certainly see the biggest clubs in the world adopt the sooner rather than later and it would only be a matter of time before it’s introduced across the sport – it has also been suggested it can be used for coaches to help players better understand the progression of the game, and even for medical staff to provide new insight too.
It could be a step in the right direction, and may remove any doubts of unfair judgements or bias calls during critical moments of a game, particularly if the automated technology is as fast as suggested by making decisions within seconds of an infringement.
