World Cup | Eliminate the "offside" controversy: their eyes are the ruler

The World Cup records the growth of young people

It also witnessed the innovation of the field technology

Brazil World Cup introduces goal-line technology

Russia World Cup to use Video Assistant Referee (VAR)

Semi-Automatic Offside Technology (SAOT)

Also debuted at the 2022 Qatar World Cup

Image source: Xinhua News Agency - VAR Workshop

Let us learn about it today

"Black Technology" in the World Cup

Look at this World Cup

What applications will they have?

From no referees to technology-assisted referees

Looking back more than a hundred years ago, the original football rules did not even introduce the concept of referees.

At first, disputes on the field were resolved by the captains of both teams, but the complaints and confusion that followed made it difficult for the captains to do so. As a result, the role of the referee came into being, and his whistle even entered the football rules earlier than the referee himself. In the following days, two assistant referees (or linesmen) joined the game to assist the referee in making decisions on the game.

Image source: Internet - Competition Rules compiled by the International Football Association Board (IFAB)

The advent of television broadcasts has enabled viewers to observe the details of the game more clearly, and has also prompted the "evolution" of referee auxiliary tools. The Premier League was the first mainstream league to propose the use of goal-line technology, but their proposal was initially rejected by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).

Goal-line technology can determine whether the ball has crossed the goal line and thus whether a goal is valid. The system is based on a chip embedded in the ball. When the ball passes through sensors in the goal area, the chip can send a signal to the smart watch worn by the referee.

A match in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa became an important turning point for the use of this technology. In the quarter-final between England and Germany, the Three Lions midfielder Lampard's wonderful shot had obviously crossed the goal line, but was whistled invalid by the referee. In the end, England was eliminated with a score of 1:4.

Lampard's "goal line injustice" prompted the use of goal line technology

This blown-off goal not only prompted the official adoption of goal-line technology, but also greatly changed the attitude of football rule makers towards the use of high-tech means.

Later, with the development of science and technology, VAR technology has been widely used in all major competitions and leagues in more than 50 countries (regions).

VAR is the abbreviation of Video Assistant Referee, also known as "video assistant referee". It is performed by active referees. His duty is to provide information to the referees through video playback, assist the referees in correcting obvious mistakes and omissions that change the course of the game, and improve the accuracy of the judgment.

VAR mainly relies on multiple cameras scattered across the football field to capture every tiny movement of the players on the field from multiple positions and angles, so as to achieve "eagle eyes and golden eyes". When there is a controversial penalty on the field or the referee needs to retrieve the game video, the technical staff will operate and call up the corresponding playback node to obtain a more fair game penalty.

The latest achievements in technological innovation

Although VAR can also assist referees in identifying offside, sometimes due to the camera angle and the position of the markings, VAR still has its limitations in determining some offsides at the hairline level.

Image source: Working principle of network semi-automatic offside recognition technology

Semi-Automatic Offside Detection Technology (SAOT) can be understood as an extension of VAR. 12 special cameras will be installed on the top of each stadium to track the football and players on the field, sending data at a frequency of 50 times per second, which can accurately determine the position of each player. The data collected by the special cameras and the sensors in the ball will be analyzed by the artificial intelligence system, and it only takes a few seconds to make a judgment on the offside situation.

Image source: Schematic diagram of network semi-automatic offside recognition technology

After the referee makes the decision, SAOT will generate 3D animated images and play them on the big screen in the stadium and on TV to more intuitively show the specific position of the player's offside, making the decision clearer and more convincing.

Semi-automatic offside detection technology has achieved good results in tests in competitions such as the 2021 Arab Cup and the 2021 Club World Cup. Statistics show that with the support of this technology, the average time for video assistant referees to check offside has dropped from more than 70 seconds to 25 seconds.

Image source: Internet 2022 Qatar World Cup official poster

From the first whistle

To today's advanced

Semi-automatic offside detection technology

The referee's "toolbox" is constantly upgrading

After more than 100 years of development

Football can always

As the most extensive

One of the most popular sports

Continuous innovation is its main source of power

Source: People's Daily Online, People's Daily Sports

Global Magazine, The Paper

Compiled by: Dong Xiaoxian

Editor: Guru