FIFA World Cup to Use AI-Based Connected Ball Technology for Reviews

Connected ball technology will be used during FIFA World Cup 2022 to facilitate officials’ decision-making, said a Wednesday S&P Global report. The official match balls will use a motion sensor that tracks every touch at 500 times per second and transmits movement data to video officials. The flow of information from the connected ball is supported by semi-automated offside technology, an artificial intelligence-based video review system that can detect the movement of players and accurately judge on-pitch violations, S&P said. The addition of the connected ball will present “a real test” for soccer's video assistant review systems, which have experienced problems since the technology started to be deployed in national leagues, S&P said. Critics of the technology cited its impact on the flow of the game and how officials used it to interpret important in-play decisions. The World Cup runs Sunday-Dec. 18.