FIFA is implementing a new state-of-the-art camera system equipped with artificial intelligence to aid referees in producing better calls amid the 2022 World Cup. Coined with the semi-automated offside technology, the newfound system works in conjunction with FIFA already exists Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, which was first introduced in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
FIFA's AI referee software will act as a unique line of sight, digitizing the event utilizing 12 dedicated tracking cameras positioned on the underbelly of the venue's roof that watch the ball like a hawk. Every player will likewise have up to 29 detailed data points, including all relevant extremities and limbs necessary for offside calls, calculated 50 times per second.
Even the official match ball made by Adidas, Al Rihla, will be retrofitted with its own enhanced internal inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor that will aid referees in the detection of so-called "tight offside incidents." The IMU will be capable of transmitting information from the very center of the ball to video operations 500 times per second for the most accurate display of information at a mere kick of the ball.
Combined with the FIFA VAR system, the semi-automated technology will alot more enhance reactionary alerts when players commit offside offenses, specifically Law 11, which states "a player is in an offside position if: any part of the head, body or feet is in the opponent's half (excluding the halfway line) and any part of the head, body or feet is nearer to the opponent's goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent."
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Given this very clear definition, the utilization of machine learning in sports refereeing is a welcome implementation. In its press release, FIFA explained that specific alerts will be sent to the aforementioned control room, wherein a validated decision will be made, all of which will occur "within a few seconds and means that offside decisions can be made faster and more accurately."
The digital assets used in these calls can thus be reused for animated effects played on the various stadium screens and worldwide TV broadcasts to ensure fans understand why and how a specific call was made during the 2022 World Cup. Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, called the automated technology "the culmination of three years of dedicated research and testing," given that it has been built off FIFA's VAR system since the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be held in Qatar, which was awarded the rights all the way back in 2010. Although it may be the first World Cup to be held in an Arabic country, the setting has come under fire via a slew of controversies, most notable among them being its bribery of top FIFA officials to award the country said World Cup rights. These details were unearthed by the US Department of Justice, which indicted several key FIFA officials at the time who were paid millions to give the vote to Qatar.
Beyond its rather unethical means of winning the 2010 hosting rights vote, Qatar has likewise come under fire for its poor labor constraints, with many various horror stories detailing deaths of nearly 6,500 workers aiding in the construction of the many stadiums in Qatar. Said laborers tended to be worked like slaves without passports and even access to water, leading many Human Rights Groups to consider these workers basically slaves.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will initially kick off on November 21, featuring England VS Iran and the United States VS Wales.
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