Since the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in Europe in 2019, technology applied in real time has landed in football to stay.
This is highlighted by UEFA prior to the start of Euro 2024 this Friday in Germany, a tournament that will have several state-of-the-art systems that will help referees make better decisions, such as a smart ball to identify offsides or the goal line system (GLT).
The official game ball for the tournament is produced, once again, by the German brand Adidas, which decided to name it Fussballliebe, which translated from German means “love of football”.
It is made from recycled polyester and has an embossed structure designed for greater precision and accuracy, with a seamless, heat-sealed construction. Furthermore, its graphics and Colors are inspired by the flags of the 24 participating nations of the Euro.
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For the first time at the UEFA European Football Championship, the official ball will feature technology that sends precise data to referees in real time.
It’s about a system named by Adidas as Connected Ball. Combining player positional data with AI, the innovation contributes to UEFA’s semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) and will be key to helping make decision-making faster during the match.
Connected Ball technology can also help video referees identify each individual touch of the ball, even if they are done by hand or notreducing the time spent resolving handball incidents and penalties.
Adidas also highlights that it includes a suspension system in the center to stabilize a 500 Hz inertial measurement unit (IMU) motion sensor. In addition, the Germans designed 20-piece panels, which improves aerodynamics.
Semi-automatic offside system (SAOT)
SAOT allows VAR teams to determine offside situations quickly and more accurately, thanks to ten specialized cameras installed in the stadium that track 29 different body points per player. Introduced in the UEFA Champions League in 2022, the system integrates with the EURO Connected Ball to immediately identify the point of contact with the ball of the offside situations analyzed.
Goal Line Technology (GLT)
UEFA has installed the Goal-Line Technology (GLT) system in all tournament venues. The system, in use in UEFA’s elite club and national team competitions since 2016, deploys seven cameras per goal, using control software to track the ball within the goal area. Using vision and software processing techniques, the GLT indicates whether a goal has been scored in the first second of the action, thanks to a vibration and a visual signal on each referee’s watch.
Video Assistant Referee (VAR)
Finally, UEFA highlights that the VAR and all technological operations will have their epicenter in a space known as FTECH HUB.
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Video referees (VAR and AVAR) will be present and operational for all matches from the four VOR rooms within the FTECH HUB.
This HUB receives and compares all the data collected by the different technologies through optical cameras (Goal Line Technology and Electronic Performance Tracking System) or sensors (Connected Ball). All data is subjected to live quality control and distributed to the various applications (e.g. SAOT, performance analysis portal, etc.).
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