Sensor Inside a Football: SAOT Coming to FIFA World Cup

Adidas recently unveiled the “Al Rihla" ball for FIFA World Cup 2022. In addition, FIFA revealed that the ball will include a new technology known as “Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT)." This technology will provide accurate data on offside decisions as well as ball position. The article goes into greater detail about the new technology.

What is Semi-Automated Offside Technology

According to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, SAOT is an evolution of an existing FIFA technology, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. FIFA is known for developing and implementing quirky technology to assist match referees. Previously, they introduced the goal-line technology in Brazil World Cup 2014 and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in Russia World Cup 2018.

FIFA and German Automation company, KINEXON collaborated to develop the new technology. They already trialed the technology at the FIFA Arab Cup and FIFA Club World Cup 2021 for performance testing. Both the officials and developers expressed satisfaction over the test result.

How Does Semi-Automated Offside Technology Work

The "Al Rihla" ball comes installed with a new suspension system. The suspension system holds a sensor that sends the ball’s inertial data 500 times per second. 12 dedicated cameras installed throughout the stadium tracks the ball and every player’s position. A dedicated AI processes all these pieces of information and alerts VAR room referees whenever an offside occurs. Presented officials can also further check the data presented in video format for further validations.

FIFA expects that the SAOT technology will greatly complement the already existing and highly accurate VAR system. FIFA already implemented the technology in a few domestic matches for testing purposes. Both the MIT sports lab and Victoria University TRACK lab are working on analyzing and validating the collected data. A research team at ETH Zurich is offering additional details regarding the technical capabilities of the multi-camera tracking systems.

The Official Ball of FIFA World Cup 2022

The sportswear giant Adidas recently unveiled the official ball for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The ball is titled "Al Rihla". The name "Al Rihla" translates as "Journey" in Arabic. According to Surprise Sports, it is the 14th successive ball created by Adidas for FIFA World Cup. During the unveiling, the company also revealed that the ball was made entirely of water-based inks and glues for the first time. They took the decision to support Qatar"s eco-friendly environmental goals.

Conclusion

FIFA is constantly working to take the football World Cup to the next level. Both fans and critics think the new SAOP technology is a step in the right direction. It will help referees offer faster and more accurate offside decisions. Which will subsequently improve the match’s quality. The participating teams will learn details on the new technology at the Team Workshop. Following that, FIFA will release the information publicly. The FIFA Team Work will take place in Doha on the 4th and 5th of July.

Check out our other articles to learn more about World Cup Live Stream. Moreover, share your thoughts on the new technology in the comments section below.

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