AI-Powered Technology Will Be Used To Speed Up VAR Offside Calls at World Cup (theguardian.com) 21
New AI-powered technology will be used at the Qatar World Cup, Fifa has confirmed, claiming it will halve the time taken to make VAR offside decisions. From a report: Semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) will see a complete overhaul of the system used to judge positional offside decisions in the lead-up to a goal. While a referee and their assistant will still make on-field calls and the referee will have a final say on SAOT decisions, the controversial practice of rewinding TV footage will be a thing of the past.
"Semi-automated offside technology is faster and more accurate and offers better communication to fans," said Pierluigi Collina, the chair of Fifa's referees committee. "It can create a new form of visualisation for supporters at home and in the ground. All tests have worked well and so [SAOT] is going into Qatar World Cup 2022." During the World Cup offside reviews will be conducted by creating a 3D map of the goalscoring action, using a combination of 12 cameras and a hi-tech ball. The Adidas Al Rihla ball will be fitted with a sensor that sends out location data 500 times per second, which will be matched against player positions on camera, with synchronised devices tracking 29 points on players' bodies and relaying information 50 times per second.
"Semi-automated offside technology is faster and more accurate and offers better communication to fans," said Pierluigi Collina, the chair of Fifa's referees committee. "It can create a new form of visualisation for supporters at home and in the ground. All tests have worked well and so [SAOT] is going into Qatar World Cup 2022." During the World Cup offside reviews will be conducted by creating a 3D map of the goalscoring action, using a combination of 12 cameras and a hi-tech ball. The Adidas Al Rihla ball will be fitted with a sensor that sends out location data 500 times per second, which will be matched against player positions on camera, with synchronised devices tracking 29 points on players' bodies and relaying information 50 times per second.
AI? (Score:2)
This sounds like a big(gish) data application, but where's the AI? Do they really use a neural network to compare two 3D positions and see which is closer to a plane?
Re: (Score:3)
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Well, the rule is actually more complicated than that, but if you use a neural net you can simply train it on past rulings without actually having to codify what a violation of the rule is.
If you read the actual rule in question, you'll see just how a big an advantage that is: Law 11 -- Offside [thefa.com].
players will find an way to cheat the devices or d (Score:2)
players will find an way to cheat the devices or damage them when faking an dive.
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players will find an way to cheat the devices or damage them when faking an dive.
What devices will they cheat/damage? The ball? The 12 cameras?
Tell me you didn't read TFA without telling me you didn't read TFA
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synchronised devices tracking 29 points on players' bodies
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synchronised devices tracking 29 points on players' bodies
Do you really think that there will be 29 physical devices per player rather than an image processing solution that processes the 12 cameras in order to extract that same position information?
My garage door opener... (Score:2)
Sounds like a lot of money to do what my garage door opener can do with a few lenses, an LED, and a photocell.
Maybe someone should say something, no?
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Cute, but dumb. If you actually read the article, this gadget does things your garage door opener can only dream of.
Re: My garage door opener... (Score:2)
Where do you put the photocell when the off side call depends on where the players are on the field?
sport analogy of war (Score:2)
Soccer (futbol) vs football: Americans train for war with all four legs; Europeans do it with their hands tied behind their backs.
They need to get rid of offside! (Score:2)
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VAR! What is that? (Score:1)
Did any one pay attention in school? Introduce every acronym before using it in the text. The first time you use the term, put the acronym in parentheses after the full term.
Can AI be used... (Score:1)
... to make soccer less boring and FIFA less corrupt?
Wowzers (Score:2)