The changing face of tech in football
Tech is already making key decisions on the pitch and helping players eke out extra levels of performance they never knew were possible. Now tech's set to change professional sport beyond recognition all over again, here's how...
Sunday 28 December 2014, St Mary's Stadium, Southampton. In the 55th minute of a key Premier League clash, Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas darts into the box and is felled by Saints' Matt Targett in the penalty area. The crowd holds its breath. But instead of pointing to the spot, referee Anthony Taylor brandishes a yellow card and books Fabregas for diving.
On the sidelines, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is apoplectic. Fabregas holds his head in disbelief. Play goes on and the game finishes 1-1. But in the hours afterwards, it becomes clear that a mistake has been made; assistant referee Darren Cann says he flagged for a penalty, only to be overruled.
Once again, the issue of video refereeing and tech in football hits the headlines. It's exactly these kinds of howlers that the KNVB is looking to eliminate. In 2014 the Dutch FA announced it was trialling a video referee system in conjunction with Hawk-Eye, the Sony-owned company that provides goal-line technology to the Premier League and ball-tracking tech for LBW decisions in international cricket.
Having already succeeded with goal-line tech (GLT), Hawk-Eye and the KNVB are confident their system will soon be used in top matches.
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