Written by: Anirudh Sengupta
Edited by: Mehreen Ali
The role of technology in sports has overtaken the industry, and fans everywhere have been divided. Most sports have a few things in common. There are players–winners and losers, but often overlooked are the referees. These match officials have one of the most intense roles in sports, making every tiebreaking call. It is easy to ridicule them while sitting at home with a TV that can cover the entire game in under 10 square feet. However, in the heat of the moment, with a limited view, it is hard to make these split-second decisions without any backups or redos. In such cases, there are bound to be human errors. Whether it was human aspiration to further technology, or just a bunch of angry fans, this problem was the cause of a plethora of innovations to enter sports, including ball tracking. A casual fan may not notice it, but these technologies provide the most valuable insights, allowing refs to make the right calls and teams to change their strategies last-minute in order to win more games.
The early origins of ball tracking are found in cricket, a sport only a few Americans know about, but billions of people worldwide enjoy. In cricket, there is a batter and a bowler. The bowler's main objective is to pitch a ball in the direction of the batter so that the ball hits the stumps, a set of three vertical posts (called stumps) set behind the batter. The batter uses a bat to prevent this from happening. If the ball hits the stumps, the batter is out. Another way a batter can get out is if the ball would've gone on to hit the stumps, but some part of the batter's body got in the way. This way of getting out is called Leg Before Wicket (LBW). While you read this, you may see the problem. How would anyone know if the ball was going to hit the stumps? Before the 21st century, the solution was to trust the umpires (name for the referee in cricket). Then, in 2001, Hawkeye Innovations created the first technology to assist umpires in their decisions. Developed by Dr. Paul Hawkins, the original technology was meant for brain surgeons. Hawkeye technology uses 6-12 cameras placed around the stadium to track the trajectory of the ball and the players. This technology could also predict if the ball would have hit the stumps in the case of an LBW. Hawkeye Innovations technology is still used today and has expanded to many other sports, including tennis, baseball and basketball.
Ball tracking technology has not gone without controversy. In the recent 2022 FIFA Men's World Cup, a single call caused one of the best teams in the world to be eliminated from the tournament. In the 51st minute of a group stage match between Japan and Spain, the ball seemed to have gone out of bounds before Japanese midfielder Kaoru Mitoma kicked it back in and crafted the perfect assist for his teammate, Ao Tanaka, to send the ball into the net. Initially, the referee disallowed the goal, thinking the ball had gone out. However, after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, a small part of the ball was in the line, and the referee overturned the decision. Japan won the game 2-1, topping the group and knocking out the 2014 champions, Germany. As photos of the goal were released, many people criticized the technology, as only a tiny part of the ball was still in bounds. As different angles of the moment were released to the public, spectators debated the reliability of VAR.
As we look to the future of sports, it becomes harder and harder to ignore the impact technology will have on it. With the boom in artificial intelligence and machine learning, who knows how accurate these decisions will go on to be? The only thing we know for sure is that the transition from man to machine will not appeal to everyone. These technologies will only last as long as the fans want them to, because the only things you can't automate in sports are the diehard fan bases united by them.
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Very well written!