Soccer Today with Tech
The ongoing World Cup in Qatar in 2022 has got all expectations and emotions high with every match day. From players, to officials, to fans, all are geared up for another thrilling experience of the game we have all come to love and cherish.
However, soccer as we know today, has undergone significant change and transformation in parallel with technological advancement and innovation. In this article, we highlight the positive impact technology has had and is having both on and off the field of play.
With the introduction of modern technology, soccer has changed tremendously since the first game in 1876. Technology has significantly changed not only soccer but also the lives of athletes globally. Soccer players all over the world have improved their stamina, performance, and even avoided injuries by adopting tech innovations attached to fitness bands.
For example, during the Euro 2020 competition, Christian Eriksen, a Danish professional footballer suffered a cardiac arrest while on the field of play. However, he has made a miraculous recovery and is now using cutting-edge technology to continue his career after acquiring an ICD to help with his cardiac condition.
Soccer communications have improved to the point that players, like those in other sports, may now get specialized instruction from a coach virtually. Soccer referees can communicate from one end of the field to the other without interfering with the game by using hands-free microphones and electrical signals.
The soccer ball itself has improved with technology. Previously, soccer balls were made of genuine leather, which took on water, making the ball soggy and heavy in rainy conditions. Manufacturers began applying a layer of polyurethane to help make the ball waterproof in the 1970s. Polyurethane also guards against scuffs and scratches. This has greatly optimized the
level of playing, due to the responsiveness of modern soccer balls compared to the previous.
Goal-line technology has improved the fairness of the soccer game. It uses physical cameras or a changing magnetic field to track the ball and determine if the soccer ball has crossed the goal line. This innovation has significantly improved the speed and accuracy of decisions made by referees in the heat of the game. It has also improved the fairness of the game and increased confidence in the referee’s decisions.
The introduction of modern fields has changed the game of soccer all over the world. Modern soccer fields are flat, fast-playing fields that are much safer than the traditional, older fields with large touchlines. Footballers now often run and tackle with more power on softer synthetic grass without getting injured.
VAR (virtual assistant referee) is another technology that has been adopted to improve the analysis of play on and off the soccer field. This technology has dramatically affected the way soccer is currently played, affecting not only players but also the way a game is officiated. While camera angles previously used old-fashioned viewfinder images that required viewers to watch the game with a screen, VAR brings futuristic technology that allows play to be viewed from multiple angles from all possible directions in real time.
Winning a soccer game now requires in-depth analysis of all the data available to coaches and players with the help of technology. Technology now gives coaches or managers critical information which when analyzed, helps soccer teams make insight-driven recruitment decisions, improves the efficiency of training sessions and player performance during games.
As technology evolves, innovations in Immersive technology, such as virtual and augmented reality are sure to push the boundaries in how soccer games are officiated, played and how soccer fans experience the game watching from the stands or from home. Technology will continue to improve, shape and finesse the play of professional footballers and lovers of the game
In conclusion, technology has improved the way soccer is played, officiated, and experienced all over the world. This goes to show how technology has permeated all aspects of our lives from entertainment, business, education and our personal lives. You cannot afford to be left behind in tech. As the saying goes “If you cannot beat them, join them”.
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