Revolutionising the Pitch: Embracing More Technology in Football

I truly believe we should use or have more technology in football matches, the whole argument of ‘its killing the spirit of the game’ ‘killing the flow of the game’ & ‘Var will also get decisions wrong’ while yes some of these if not all of them are valid statements, but without VAR or more technology in the game, you would get footballers, managers & pundits after the game calling out the mistakes the referees and the assistants have made, you still get that now with VAR but its worse now that they believe there shouldn’t be ANY mistakes made with VAR.

People assume that VAR is a computer or robot that can determine whether someone is offside or not, its not. “The VAR reviews the broadcast footage, using as many angles as possible. Real-time replays will be used initially to check for intensity. Slow-motion replays will be used to identify the point of contact.”
therefore human error is still part of this equation, until we remove the human element side in this, human error or mistakes will always be the problem or talking point. Maybe at this current moment in time VAR isn’t amazing but it’s still better than what we had back when it’s a 40 year old with a pot belly trying to catch up with Mbappe or Theo Hernández, the lines man/assistant referees has to stay with the last defender and also watch when the ball is played to the striker to determine whether its offside. Nowadays its stop everything re-wind time and draw some lines. If its helps them it helps the game.

VAR was introduced in the 2018/19 season, in the grand scheme of things its still relatively new like a 5 year ago baby, we have to accept there will be flaws and issues with VAR and other new technologies when they first come out

Look at hawkeye for example for tennis or cricket, this was introduced in 2006 (tennis) 2009 (cricket) the acceptance of these new technology at the time was mixed but now its accepted and appreciated though you do get the odd one or two people not liking it.
Tennis has been using hawkeye for 15 years, at the start people and tennis players didn’t like it, one time the officals called Serena Williams to apologies to her.
“The Hawk-Eye Innovations website states that the system performs with an average error of 3.6 mm. The standard diameter of a tennis ball is 67 mm, equating to a 5% error relative to ball diameter.”

I know hawkeye is completely different compare to VAR but its still technology, hawkeye just judges the ball if its touches the line or over the line, I mean they have hawkeye in football its called ‘Goal line technology” now no-one is saying this shouldn’t be used in the game or they have made an absolutely bad decision, maybe the Spanish in the world cup 2023 the game against Japan, but I think they got it right, well you have 90mins of football to win the game, don’t leave it to the referees.

I don’t see or hear about people trash talking GPS vest and the data it brings, ‘oh they are running too much’ ‘the players are working too hard’ but I do see and hear journalist, pundit and even the players talk about how many sprints he did during the 90 mins, how fast he is or how much distance covered per 90.

Theses are the positive things we should focus on when we talk about technologies in the game, I believe we should have more and use more in football matches like, with VAR they should not only review offside and red cards, but if you have this technologies why not use it to the full capacity, use it to determine whether it supposed to be a goal kick or corner, it’s a dive or an actually free kick, a throw-in to home team or away team, you telling me the people in VAR during these times are just scratching their ass eating popcorn?
Whats the point of having a mobile phone if you just going to use it just to check the time.
Previously, I wrote an article discussing the possibility of removing
referees from the football pitch. If you’re interested, you can read the
article here.

Yes they will take more time in the game, slow or break up the flow of the game, think of it this way if that decision gets your team the winning goal are you going to complain about it? Hell no, but if that decision loses your team the game no shot, you’ll bitch about it right?

All referee and assistant should be mic’d up, so the whole stadium can hear what he says and what the players says, this would improve transparency in the game.

Here are some examples:

Goal-line technology: This technology ensures that a goal is given when the ball crosses the goal line, which eliminates human errors.

Video Assistant Referee (VAR): This technology helps referees make more accurate decisions by reviewing footage from different angles. It can be used for offside calls, penalty decisions, red card decisions, and more.

GPS tracking: GPS vests worn by players provide data on distance covered, sprints made, and other metrics. This helps coaches and players make more informed decisions about training and tactics.

Instant replay: Instant replay technology allows broadcasters and fans to see controversial moments again and make their own judgments. This has improved transparency and reduced arguments about refereeing decisions.

Training aids: Technology such as virtual reality and simulation software can be used to train players and improve their skills.

Technology has made football more accurate, transparent, and efficient. It has also improved the spectator experience by allowing fans to see the action from different angles and make their own judgments.

I feel that we should embrace the new technologies in football whether its fully working at its maximum capacity or not, the more changes we accept and adept, the easier it will be for the managers, players, pundits and the referees.

Catch you in the next one.

Revolutionising the Pitch: Embracing More Technology in Football