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The sports industry is one of the many that the growing world of technology has influenced. Many innovative ideas enter the sporting world to help improve the experience. In the last decade, we saw most of the greatest additions to the world of sports with various technological ideas.
We saw the introduction of smart pitches that can help the referee with various decisions even when they are far from the action. Technology has also made it easy for bettors who want to find the right odds, even those focused on esports odds are not left behind. In that case, here are six innovative technologies that have improved many sports in the last decade.
Video Assistant Referee
Before the introduction of video assistant referees in various sports, many calls used to go unnoticed. After replays, we would see that there should have been a different call in a particular event that would have completely changed the course of the match. Therefore, there was a need to help on-pitch referees.
Since the referee couldn’t see everything in real-time, mistakes were part of the game, and the favored teams were happy. Meanwhile, the fans of the team at the other end would feel played. It was like that for years.
Therefore, the arrival of the video assistant referee was a much-awaited invention. And it has changed how games go as calls are near impossible to go under the radar.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Data has been part of different sports, and it is a way fans can keep track of their favorite teams and check what players are performing well or the ones that are doing badly. However, some data went under the radar as there were no ways to gather them. Thanks to the introduction of Artificial Intelligence, we can now see more than just goals, points, assists, and other obvious stats.
In soccer, people can now learn about players’ XGs, XAs, etc. Aside from that, the technology uses the data to learn and predict how the game will go, although, as you can guess, the human factor remains a problem. Even with all the data, a tie can still go another way, leaving the unpredictability just right.
Playing Gear and Equipment
Before, it was tougher to stay in shape because there weren’t too many sophisticated training tools, and tracking progress wasn’t easy. Therefore, players must make do, especially with team sports that require pushing the body to the extreme. We saw many top players resign once they hit their mid-30s.
However, with the new sophisticated gear and equipment, players are getting a better training experience where they can easily build better endurance and keep their bodies in shape. Nowadays, we have players playing into their late 30s at the highest level. They can still play the full length of the pitch and perform well.
Smart Pitches
The pitches now are better. They make the playing experience better and don’t cause harm to the players. In soccer, the pitches have the right grass with sensors that allows them to collect player data as they grace the pitch. It is an epic experience because sports have never been more exciting.
If you visit the newly upgraded stadiums, you’ll find some of the best facilities to give you the best sporting experience. In that case, you won’t have to miss any of the actions even with the surrounding noise at the stadium, and you would experience everything from the start to the end.
Edge Detector
One of the most advanced technologies in Cricket is the snicko meters or edge detectors. They provide tracking for the ball using sound waves to know if it had hit the bat before it was captured by the other team. It is a good way to measure close calls and avoid errors since fine margins can ruin the flow of the game.
These technologies use sound waves, a sensitive stump microphone, and an oscilloscope to track the ball. So, anytime there is a close call, the sounds will be processed to remove background noise and combined with the available video stream. They then play it back in slow motion so the third umpire can assess and make a call.
Goal Line Technology
Just like the edge detectors in cricket, soccer, and some other field-based sports use goal-line technology to track when the ball crosses the goal line. In this case, if there is an argument about whether the ball has crossed the line or not, the referee can simply look to the technology to know.
Thanks to the smart pitches, there are sensors on the lines, and once the ball crosses it into the net, it signals the referee. Therefore, there isn’t any argument about whether it is a goal. We still think if goal-line technology existed in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the England vs. Germany match would have gone very differently.
