The Growing Tech Industry Under The Surface Of Football
Although many of the oldest fans will still look to football for good old-fashioned fun, the reality is that at almost every level of football, technology is playing at least some role. Whether it’s on the pitch or behind the scenes, we’ve seen more and more technology come into the beautiful game in recent years, and here we’re going to look at a few of the biggest examples currently in use.
Data Analytics
Everything nowadays can be broken down into numbers, and data analytics lets companies see them. It’s used by everyone from car manufacturers to online casinos, often in terms of customer habits or interests in shaping or promoting different products. In the latter case, if you go to a casino website and see offerings like live gameshows or Plinko gambling games on the front page, their inclusion and positioning would be the result of extensive customer research via the use of data.
In football terms, analytics get applied to every stage of management, whether that’s in checking out new players to bring in, deciding who is on the best form to take a penalty, or even setting ticket prices for fans at the gate. Most larger clubs will make use of both complex software and specialist staff to break down all the numbers, and it’s seen as an essential component nowadays.
In-Match Sensors
While the use of things like VAR has been mired in controversy, most of that comes down to the fine details of how officials make use of it on the pitch. What isn’t in doubt is the effectiveness of the technology itself, and the top leagues in the world will now use a vast array of sensors and measuring tools to check goal lines, offside decision, handballs, and everything else that referees may not catch.
We can look elsewhere in sports to see the direction that football may go with this, and the prime example has to be the use of 3D imaging in the NFL, notably used last year in a match hosted at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Broadcasting
On the topic of cameras, most people don’t give much thought to what technology is needed to bring them the matches they see on their TV. While much of the credit behind the exceptionally smooth footage has to go to the highly skilled camera operators, the cameras themselves are incredibly advanced. The top-end ones are even able to automatically track the ball and players to some extent.
The latest development in cameras has been the usage of the RefCam system, a device worn by officials that works much like a bodycam. Not only does it allow review of player interactions after the match, but it will at some stage also give fans much-needed insight into the decision-making process. We can expect broadcasts to become almost entirely automated a lot faster than many would expect.
Image: Chris Liverani on Unsplash
