At the 2022 World Cup, FIFA will use AI-powered cameras to assist referees in making offside calls.
The semi-automated system consists of a sensor embedded in the ball that relays its position on the field 500 times a second, and 12 tracking cameras mounted underneath the roofs of stadiums that use machine learning to track 29 points on the body of players.
When players commit offside offenses (that is, when they are nearer to the other team’s goal than their second-last opponent) and receive the ball, software will generate automated alerts. There will be alerts sent to officials in a nearby control room, who will validate the decision and instruct the referees on the field as to what to do next.
As a result of this process, FIFA claims that offside decisions will occur “within a few seconds” and that they are made more accurately and quickly. The data generated by the cameras and ball will be incorporated into automated animations that can be played on screens in stadiums and in television broadcasts to explain clearly why the offside decision was made.
In this case, it is the latest example of sports adopting automated technology to assist referees in making decisions. As part of the 2018 World Cup, FIFA introduced VAR, or video assistant referees, which allow referees to review their decisions using sideline monitors, which allows referees to review them.
Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, said that the new system would allow officials to make “faster and more accurate decisions,” but stressed that humans are still in charge, not robots.
“I know someone called it ‘robot offside,’ but it is not,” said Collina. Referees and assistant referees are still responsible for making decisions on the field.”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino stated, “This technology is the culmination of three years of research and testing designed to provide the best possible solution for teams, players and fans. This is a great accomplishment, and we are proud of it, as we look forward to seeing the benefits of semi-automated offside technology at the FIFA World Cup 2022.
FIFA 2022 World Cup
It is the first time in history that the World Cup will be held in an Arabic country, since Qatar will host it in 2022. The tournament will be held in November and December instead of in the summer, as is customary in Qatar.
Qatar’s decision to host the World Cup has been strongly criticized. An investigation by the US Justice Department found that top FIFA officials were bribed to award the tournament to the Arab country (narrowly beating the US itself).
According to a number of investigations conducted by Human Rights Watch and The Guardian, Qatar’s stadiums are built by migrant workers who are essentially slaves with their passports confiscated and their salaries suspended. Since Qatar was awarded the World Cup in 2010, at least 6,500 migrant workers have died due to extreme working conditions (such as a lack of access to water).
Among the first four games of the 2022 World Cup will be England vs Iran and USA vs Wales (all teams in Group B).
The History Of FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup, formally known as the World Cup, is an annual tournament of men’s national teams that determines who is the world champion of the sport. It is likely to be one of the most popular sporting events in the world, with billions of television viewers each year. The Women’s World Cup is the equivalent event for female national football teams.
In 1930, Uruguay won the first FIFA Cup competition, which was organised by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). It has been held every four years since then, except during World War II.
It consists of international sectional tournaments leading to a final elimination event comprising 32 national teams. The World Cup is unlike the Olympic soccer competition in that teams are not restricted to players of a certain age or amateur status, so it is more like a competition between the best players in the world. All national associations submit lists of referees for selection.
A trophy cup known as the Jules Rimet Trophy was awarded from 1930 to 1970, and it was named after the Frenchman who proposed the tournament. As of 1970, the cup was permanently awarded to Brazil (1958, 1962, and 1970), and a new trophy called the FIFA World Cup was introduced. The World Cup has been organized in many other sports as well.
As of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, twenty-one final tournaments have been held and a total of 79 national teams have competed. The trophy has been won by eight national teams. Brazil have won five times, and they are the only team to have played in every tournament. The other World Cup winners are Germany and Italy, with four titles each; Argentina, France, and inaugural winner Uruguay, with two titles each; and England and Spain, with one title each.
FIFA World Cup awards
During each World Cup, awards are presented to players and teams for accomplishments other than their final team positions. There are currently six awards:
- A golden ball is awarded to the best player determined by a vote of media members (the first awarded in 1982); a silver ball is presented to the second or third place finishers in the voting, and a bronze ball is presented to the third place finisher.
- The Golden Boot (sometimes referred to as the Golden Shoe) is awarded to the top goalscorer (first awarded in 1982, but retrospectively applied to all tournaments that date back to 1930); most recently, the Silver Boot and the Bronze Boot have been awarded to the second and third highest scorers.
- In 1994, the FIFA Technical Study Group awarded the Golden Glove Award (formerly the Yashin Award) for the best goalkeeper
- The Best Young Player Award for the best player aged 21 or younger at the start of the calendar year, decided by the FIFA Technical Study Group (first awarded in 2006)
- A FIFA Fair Play Trophy is awarded to the team with the best record of fair play according to the points system and criteria established by the FIFA Fair Play Committee (first awarded in 1978).
- Most Entertaining Team, determined by a poll of the general public during the World Cup (first awarded in 1994)
source: fifa.com
FIFA 2022 World Cup
It is the first time in history that the World Cup will be held in an Arabic country, since Qatar will host it in 2022. The tournament will be held in November and December instead of in the summer, as is customary in Qatar