The AI system will give referees more data to help with decisions
FIFA, the international organization for football/soccer, said that it will use cameras connected to AI at the 2022 World Cup. The cameras will help referees with offside decisions.
The system has a sensor in the ball and 12 cameras around the stadium. The cameras can track 29 different parts of the players’ bodies.
The AI software will take the data from the ball and cameras and send alerts to officials when a player is offside. The officials will double-check the decision and then tell the referee on the field.
FIFA says that this process happens in only a few seconds. It says that offside decisions will be faster and more accurate. The data from the ball and cameras will also create digital animations which people at home and in the stadium can see. This will help fans understand the decision.
This is another example of sports using technology to help referees. At the 2018 World Cup, FIFA introduced VAR (video assistant referee). This helps referees make decisions using video.
Pierluigi Collina, the chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, says that the new system lets referees make decisions faster and more accurately. However, he also makes clear that humans, not robots, are in charge of the game.
Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, said that this technology has been tested for 3 years and FIFA wants to give the fans the best experience. He also says that FIFA is proud of the system and he wants to see the benefits of it at the FIFA World Cup 2022.
The 2022 World Cup will be held in Qatar. It’s the first World Cup to be held in an Arabic country. To avoid the high temperatures in Qatar, the tournament is scheduled from November to December instead of in the summer.
Many people didn’t like the decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar. An investigation by the US government found out that FIFA officials took bribes and then announced Qatar as the host country.
Many investigations by different organizations also found that the new stadiums in Qatar were built by people from other countries. The workers were like slaves because construction companies took away their passports and didn’t pay them. They had no way to travel home. One investigation says that more than 6,500 workers died building for the World Cup in Qatar because of bad working conditions
The 2022 World Cup starts on November 21.
VOCABULARY
- AI (artificial intelligence) – human intelligence in a machine. See more here.
- Referee (ref) – an official person who watches and controls a sports game; judge
- Offside – when a ball and a player are in a position or area that’s not allowed
- Track – to follow and record; to note or study progress; to follow
- Double-check – check something again; confirm
- Animation – to create moving images or movie with drawings
- Fan – a person who likes a sport or team; supporter; follower
- Accurately – correctly; exactly
- Arabic – A common language, and people in the Middle East and North Africa;
- Avoid – stay away from; keep away
- Investigation – research; study; inspection; search
- Find out – discover; learn; understand
- Bribe – an offer of something like money for a favor (I will give you $1mil. if you give us the World Cup)
- Host – A person or places that organizes and holds an event for other people
- Organization – a group of people with one purpose; an agency; a society; company
- Slave – a person who is owned by another person; a person who works very hard, but does not get payment or respect
Original story from The Verge below:
