FIFA to trial chipped soccer ball in Japan

The referees at the upcoming Club World Cup in Japan will likely be taking a little less flack from the fans if a ball manages to come dangerously close to slipping into the net, as FIFA is deploying a type of "goal-line" technology that more precisely indicates whether debatable shots really crossed the line. At the heart of the system are four sensors that are placed around the goal and a single microchip within the so-called smart-ball; if the ball does indeed cross over the goal line, an encrypted message is instantly beamed out to a referee's watch, leaving no doubt as to whether or not a point should be awarded. Apparently, the system will be widely used at the 2010 World Cup if testing proves successful, but unfortunately, this same technology can't be used to embarrass the multitude of players who will inevitably take a dive in order to draw a card.

[Via AFP / Yahoo, image courtesy of FIFA]

[Chris @ Nov 17th 2007 7:38AM]

You just had to highlight England's current plight by using a picture of Calamity James letting a shot in, didn't you?

[Liam @ Nov 17th 2007 8:02AM]

Pfft. A little bitchy, yes.

[getz76 @ Nov 17th 2007 11:33AM]

I am an Italian-American, and while I support both of those national squads, I watch the English team with some interest as I follow the EPL rather closely.

Now, I just do not understand why England struggles with keepers; they have a wealth of talent, why did McClaren stick with Robinson so long when he has struggled for such a prolonged period of time.

James > Robinson
Carson > James
Green > Carson

[jimmyfinch @ Nov 17th 2007 2:18PM]

@ getz76

Not EPL, it's BPL.

When Barclay paid £21.9million per season for sponsorship the league became "Barclays Premier League".

[getz76 @ Nov 17th 2007 5:14PM]

@ jimmyfinch,

I remember the start of the leauge. Do not forget the first team to lose in the league was Manchester United. That still makes me giddy.

And I'm aware what Barclays paid. They can bite it.

I still call Costco "Price Club" and the Izod Center "Brendan Byrne Arena" and Monster Park "Candlestick Park".

[Am3n @ Nov 17th 2007 6:15PM]

Liam I agree with you whole heartedly

Even though alot do, its not fair to say that every single player will "inevitably take a dive"
That comment is in there for absolutely no reason, it just shows your distaste for the sport

[bugmat @ Nov 17th 2007 7:39AM]

ABout time - with the amount of cameras trained on a football field, and fans being able to see replays that usually leave without a doubt the reality of goal/no goal, this will help the refs escape some fo the criticism (though that's always fun)!

[Maestro @ Nov 17th 2007 7:57AM]

The NFL needs a system like this so the refs actually know where to place the ball when a runner is down.

[Matt @ Nov 17th 2007 8:21AM]

I've wanted a system for that for a while, but it doesn't seem like this tech would really work for that. I was thinking it could work to see if a player got a first down or a touchdown, though. They could have sensors in the first down markers or maybe more realistically at the goal line at least. The cost could become an issue with as many balls as they tend to use in a game, but I suppose they could alter the way they handle/replace the balls if necessary.

[Cagrino @ Nov 17th 2007 9:13AM]

Unless they put chips in each player's knees, how are you going to know when the player was down in NFL football?

While we're at it we would have to put a full body contact detector on all the players too, so you know when they're down by contact.

Since we've gone through this much trouble, we might as well make the contact suits all green or blue so we can digitally project a commercial on every player. Why not? The NFL is only concerned with making as much money as they can. And they will sell out the entire sport to do it.

Making the coaches wear officially licensed gear on the sidelines just makes them look sloppy and second rate. They should go back to wearing suits!

Taking the Superbowl out of the country? Are they crazy?

By the way, the FIFA ball chip is a good idea. It would stop this kind of fan "proof".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzXjo9m3aY4

[oliveros123 @ Nov 17th 2007 8:27AM]

Dont worry, Roberto Carlos will retire soon ;)

[Tim @ Nov 17th 2007 8:32AM]

Meh Video refferee works in the rugby

[Shawn @ Nov 17th 2007 8:57AM]

I've always been amazed that the NHL doesn't do the same thing. There are often reviews on odd goals, goalies can easily cover the puck from the cameras as it slides past them. If Fox can put a chip in the pucks to make it glow on TV, the NHL should be able to create a computer system with some sensors to automatically turn on the goal light.

[bijanv @ Nov 17th 2007 5:03PM]

Fox does not implant a chip into the puck. They just use software that tracks the puck on the screen and adds a glow.

[Hockey Fan eh @ Nov 19th 2007 1:04AM]

@bijanv: Try a little research first.

Fox imbedded a puck with infared diodes and put sensors up on the glass to track the puck. Then they used the software to add the glow.

Battery life was about 10 mins, Puck didn't weigh the same, and it wasn't able to be as frozen as normal pucks are and bounced more. Viewers and players hated it.

I hated the glowing puck.

[mavkato @ Nov 17th 2007 8:58AM]

is the chip in the center of the ball? if it is on one edge, if that edge crosses the line, but not the entire ball, is it still signaled as a goal?

[Wrigz @ Nov 17th 2007 9:01AM]

I'm guessing it knows how far out the football goes out from the ball.

Yes it's a bloody FOOTBALL.... 'Soccer'. pff.

[ToonPac @ Nov 17th 2007 10:08AM]

The whole ball has to be over the line

[tiuk @ Nov 17th 2007 11:30AM]

I've fairly confident that whoever designed this probably thought of such things.

[cmc @ Nov 17th 2007 9:28AM]

I can live with you calling football soccer but calling a goal a point? COME ON!!!

[Leopard Nimrod @ Nov 17th 2007 10:52AM]

Good point.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I'd like to point out that it's the fault of the British that Americans call it Soccer. They created the term.

Briefly...
When football was at a crossroads with its rules in the 19th century there were two basic camps. The ones who wanted to be ale to use their hands (rugby) and those who didn't (football/soccer). From the ashes of the original, unorganized football came Assocation Football. Eventually shortened and molesting the original term--as the Brtis are known to do--until only the Soc +(c)er from Association was utilized.

[Dimplemonkey @ Nov 17th 2007 9:28AM]

The company that's in charge of this, Hawk-Eye Technology, has already implemented this chip-in-ball in tennis and cricket and was featured in the U17 World Cup with great results. Here's their official take on how this will work. http://www.hawkeyeinnovations.co.uk

===

How does it work?
As with all Hawk-Eye technology, every image is processed by a bank of computers in real time. This data is then sent to a central computer, which combines all the information to determine whether or not the ball has crossed the line. As soon as a ball has been tracked across the goal line, the central computer will transmit an automatic signal directly to the referee to inform him whether or not a goal has been scored. This information can be communicated to a watch or an ear piece as required.

Before one assumes that the technology could be used to determine whether a corner or goal kick should be awarded, it is interesting to note that the protocol will only apply to a ball that moves within the three dimensional space of the goal mouth. A signal would not be sent if a ball crossed the goal plane but went over the crossbar or wide of the posts.

Hawk-Eye’s system would be similarly astute if the ball crossed the goal line for only a fraction of a second. A ball travelling at 60 mph will move one metre per video frame on standard broadcast cameras, which operate at 25 frames per second, so Hawk-Eye utilises cameras that can operate at up to 500 frames per second.

The three dimensional space of a goal mouth is actually subject to quite a lot of movement. The goal posts can move as a result of the ball or players hitting them and cameras can wobble owing to wind or the vibrations of a stadium packed full of cheering football fan. Hawk-Eye has experienced similar challenges in cricket and tennis and has robust solutions for counteracting this issue.

Likely scenarios when the technology will be most valuable include corners or goal line scrambles; patterns of play that see numerous bodies huddled around the goal line. Hawk-Eye compensates for the eventuality that players will obstruct the ball by employing multiple cameras from different angles. These camera positions are flexible to allow for installation at different venues.

Hawk-Eye has also drawn on its extensive experience of finding the centre of the ball in tennis: the football system is able to find the ball accurately even if only 25% of the ball is visible. This specialised vision processing technique is a vital strength of the Hawk-Eye Football System.


Hawk-Eye is confident that the days of post-match retributions will soon be a thing of the past. The closest goal-line calls will be resolved in a matter of seconds as Hawk-Eye’s experience and accuracy on the tennis court will take football officiating to a new level.

[Steve @ Nov 18th 2007 11:06AM]

It's not HawkEye who are responsible for this. It's adidas AG and Cairos technologies AG . Hawkeye uses High-Speed cameras and they don't have a chip in the ball.

[Matthew - LEEDS UNITED FTW @ Nov 17th 2007 9:57AM]

Lol at americans trying to explain/understand footy.

[ToonPac @ Nov 17th 2007 10:08AM]

Yeah lol... Apparantly we score points not goals now =(

[seoultrain @ Nov 17th 2007 2:17PM]

lol at snobby Europeans who think everyone in the world should know as much as they do about football.

if you guys thought baseball players scored points, i wouldn't say a thing.

[mgcmshrms @ Nov 25th 2007 12:35AM]

almost noone outside the US cares about the nba, nfl, mlb and even the mls.

[johnathon @ Nov 17th 2007 8:51PM]

And you wonder why FiFA's second in command despises English atitudes about football/soccer

Now, more then ever, I hope England loses on Tuesday to Croatia

[deadpool @ Nov 17th 2007 11:16PM]

everyone in the world already knows the basics of football... except for americans. remember seoultrain, america isn't "everyone in the world".

[FunkMaster @ Nov 18th 2007 12:31AM]

@deadpool

No, but we're the ones that matter most.

USA! USA! USA!

[Tom Dowler @ Nov 18th 2007 4:26AM]

@ johnathan

As long as we don't lose to Croatia on Wednesday. Y'know, when we're actually playing against Croatia.

Oh, and if there are Leeds fans present - thanks for Tuesday night and up the shakers.

[getz76 @ Nov 17th 2007 11:37AM]

Matthew,

I understand your frustration if you are a Leeds fan. :)

Regarding the American understanding of the game, you made an unfortunate but fair statement. Not all of us are that clueless, but even the football subculture here in the US tends to be dominated by expatriots. When I head to the local football pub to watch games on Saturday morning, the Americans are a very small minority. Thanks R.Murdock for bringing Fox Soccer Channel to most cable and satellite in the US, though!

[Matthew - LEEDS UNITED FTW @ Nov 17th 2007 3:55PM]

Lol, yh.

Well for the small amount of americans that do watch football, i clap you. Your appreciating a real sport.

Please no one say that NFL is a real sport, you lot get dressed up in suits before you run into each other. Do this in england and you would be called a poof. So why not try RUGBY!

[ryan @ Nov 18th 2007 2:17PM]

@ matthew

first of all, it's called football, not NFL. If nothing else at least call it American football. And secondly, I suggest you take a good long look at a man by the name of Jevon Kearse and then tell me you still don't think football pads are a good idea. Don't get me wrong though, I do love playing and watching soccer, just don't bash American football for no reason.

[mike_p @ Nov 18th 2007 6:50PM]

Well, I'm an American living in England and only recently started watching Rugby on the tube. I too can say NFL seems a bit more like a pampered sport (not so far as to say sissy sport) than Rugby only because... well have you actually seen the Rugby World Cup? It was intense!

Football (real football, y'know, the game you use with your actual feet) is the biggest sport in the world and it really only is a matter of time before it gets big in the USA. Doesn't help that our version of Euro 2008 (CONCACAF Gold Cup) is a complete joke. Most of the teams are there to make up the numbers.

[John @ Nov 17th 2007 12:06PM]

it's m/h or mph, the 'p' is per.

[Kizorblade @ Nov 17th 2007 12:11PM]

And it's a POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIINT to the people who scores against James!

Points...Pfft.

[Rex @ Nov 18th 2007 5:36AM]

ditto to all those who say that technology should be introduced to settle sporting disputes, as a cricket fan, i can attest to the frustration, when the umpire gives (or doesn't give)an LBW, when the replay tech shows that it clearly isn't the case, i mean, in the good old days of the gentlemen's game, sure you had no tech, but now when you do, and the players are surely not "gentle"(e.g. shoaib akhtar& brett lee, and their bloody, helmet cracking, cent-miler cherries) you have to have to atleast call a review...

[majortom @ Nov 18th 2007 8:05AM]

I have to laugh at this. American baseball tried this sometime back. Seems a couple of science majors put a chip inside a baseball and a sensor on the edges of home plate. Well, it did not take long before the catcher would throw a little dirt on the right place and bingo! a strike was called. The inventors said they would fix the problem. Then every time the ball was hit hard the chip broke. Again, the inventors said that could be fixed. When the y returned they stated "all was fine. Oh, try not to hit the ball too hard".
Some things should be left to humans. Technology should stay out of those areas that make 100k drunken fans go crazy. I say put a chip in the fans, so that when the "mandatory" riot ensues after the game/match, the police can figure out who killed whom.....

[Matthew Leeds ftw @ Nov 18th 2007 11:05AM]

Whatever happened to the fun of just playing sport.

There is a space for technology in sport and it would have been useful in last nights game for the Scots, the ref was clearly inadequet for the job!.

[mike_p @ Nov 18th 2007 6:50PM]

@oliveros123:

You have to let the other people in on the best free kick EVER...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceFtwgSe3PM

[Brumbo @ Nov 18th 2007 7:46PM]

LOL at bitter Leeds fans trying to explain footie to the masses

Can't wait for the Club World Cup tho. FORZA MILAN!!!

[Maff @ Nov 19th 2007 4:00AM]

don't lump all us Leeds fans together!

[sitruc @ Nov 19th 2007 1:57PM]

Wasn't this used in one of the FIFA youth tournaments a few years ago?