- 12-07-2022
- Artificial Intelligence
FIFA will track players’ bodies using AI to make offside calls at the World Cup. The system will give referees more data to make decisions.
The AI system consists of a sensor in the ball that relays its position on the field 500 times a second, and 12 tracking cameras mounted underneath the roof of stadiums, which use machine learning to track 29 points in players’ bodies.
Software will combine this data to generate automated alerts when players commit offside offenses. Alerts will be sent to officials in a nearby control room, who will validate the decision and tell referees on the field what call to make.
FIFA claims this process will happen “within a few seconds and means that offside decisions can be made faster and more accurately.” The data generated by the cameras and ball will also be used to create automated animations, which can be played on screens in the stadium and in TV broadcasts “to inform all spectators in the clearest possible way” of why the call was made.
The 2022 World Cup will take place in Qatar, making it the first World Cup to ever be hosted in an Arabic country. To offset the heat of Qatar, the tournament will be held from November to December instead of in the summer, as is tradition.