As the EPL, AFCON, and other leagues continue to generate immense nostalgia, some technologies power the good old game called football. We will highlight five of these technologies.
Video Assistant Referee (VAR)
The VAR could make a referee change their decision once every 3.29 games. During the 2018-19 season, in La Liga, VAR interfered in 27% of its games, or other words, in 1 out of 4 games.
Typically, it should only interfere once. According to the data provided by FIFA, during the 2018 World Cup, referees’ sensible decisions increased from 95% to 99.32%, thanks to VAR. Referees’ bias towards those better-ranked teams is still a fact.
Extra time in games is higher when the best teams are losing than when the score is in their favour. The distance covered by players above 21 km/h has not altered. However, the distance covered by teams did decrease very slightly when comparing games in which VAR did not interfere.
Vanishing Spray
Vanishing spray, also known as vanishing foam, is applied to an association football pitch to provide a temporary visual marker. The referee often uses it to indicate the minimum distance the defending team may position themselves from the ball during a direct free-kick. It shows the spot from where the kick occurs.
The spray appears similar to white paint or watered-down shaving foam when applied. It completely disappears within a minute, leaving no visible residue behind. It is used mainly at the highest levels of competition. Vanishing spray is said to help prevent unnecessary delays by preventing the defensive team from encroaching closer than the mandated 10 yards (9.15 meters) from the ball during a free-kick. It can prevent the attacking team from illegally moving the ball from the spot where the referee awarded the kick.
Goal Line Technology (GLT)
Goal-line technology (sometimes referred to as a Goal Decision System) uses electronic aid to determine if a goal has been scored or not. In detail, it is a method used to determine when the ball has completely crossed the goal line in between the goal-posts and underneath the crossbar with the assistance of electronic devices and at the same time assisting the referee in awarding a goal or not.
The objective of goal-line technology (GLT) is not to replace the role of the officials but rather to support them in their decision-making.
The GLT must provide a clear indication as to whether the ball has fully crossed the line, and this information will serve to assist the referee in making his final decision.
Referee Assistant Communication
In the current Laws, the term “Assistant Referee” technically refers only to the two officials who generally patrol the touchlines, with the wider range of assistants to the referee given other titles.
The assistant referees’ duties consist of judging when the ball has left the field of play. It also includes which team is entitled to return the ball to play.
They judge when an offside offense has occurred and advise the referee when an infringement of the Laws has happened. These two officials are positioned on opposite touchlines and each stays beside different halves of the pitch.
Electronic Performance and Tracking System (EPTS)
Electronic Performance and Tracking Systems (EPTS), which include camera-based and wearable technologies, control and improve player and team performance.
EPTS primarily track player (and ball) positions. It can be used in combination with microelectromechanical devices (accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc.) It is also used as a heart-rate monitor and to measure load or physiological parameters.
However, they can be used not only on match days by lower league clubs who may not have the budgets for other options. It helps top teams during training sessions to keep a keen eye on players’ speed.