The Clever Technology That Is Making World Cup Officiating More Accurate

The World Cup is in full swing, and this year, technology is helping officials to make more accurate calls. This neat video takes you behind the scenes to show you the new “semi-automated AI offsides technology” that uses a combination of sensors, a multi-camera array, and machine learning to help officials to make the correct call each time. 

Coming to you from Vox, this interesting video will show you how “semi-automated AI offsides technology” is helping World Cup referees make more accurate calls. The offsides rule is one of the most fundamental and consequential in football, but it is not always easy to call, as a referee's perspective could make it difficult to ascertain the relative position of players. That is where this new technology comes in. Inside the ball is a sensor that relays its position on the field 500 times a second, which works in tandem with 12 motion-tracking cameras mounted around the perimeter of the stadium. These cameras leverage machine learning to track 29 points on the players' bodies and alert the referees to an offside infraction. Nonetheless, as you will see, the final call still rests with the official, thus the "semi-automated" classification. Check out the video above to see it in action! 

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Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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As explanations of the offside rule go, that was pretty terrible.