For a long time football rejected the use of technology during matches as it was thought it would change the spirit of the game. But in recent years it has been adopting new technologies to help referees make better decisions. Here are some of the technologies that are being used during the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
VAR
Video Assistant Referee is now known by spectators. A match official reviews decisions made by the referee with the help of video replays.
This official reviews four categories of decisions. Goals, Penalties, Red cards, and mistakenly awarding a card to the wrong player. When they find a possible error they communicate with the referee.
When a play needs further reviews the game is stopped. And on occasions the referee itself can review the video on-field to make the final decision.
Match Ball
The match ball for this World Cup has an internal sensor that gives the location of the ball when it’s kicked. This data is used by the VAR officials to make better decisions.
SAOT
Semi-Automated Offside Technology is a system of 12 tracking cameras that are used by the VAR officials to calculate players position. This data is used to review offsides.
FIFA Player App
A system of cameras located around the field that track players’ performance. Generating different player performance metrics like heat maps, distance runned and speed.