FIFA to Use 3D Recreations for Real-Time Refereeing Assistance at World Cup

FIFA is set to revolutionize refereeing at the World Cup by implementing a sophisticated 3D recreation system that will mirror matches in real-time. This innovative technology aims to provide unprecedented clarity for officials, significantly enhancing decision-making processes, especially in complex situations like offside calls and determining if the ball has fully crossed the goal line. The system is designed to expedite the semi-automatic offside technology, instantly alerting referees when an attacker is clearly ahead of the last defender by more than ten centimeters. FIFA's Director of Innovation, Johannes Holzmülle, explained that the technology has been refined over three years of testing, starting with a 50-centimeter margin and now down to 10 centimeters. For marginal offside calls, the images will still be reviewed by the VAR. To achieve this, FIFA will create a real-time digital twin of each match using 16 cameras positioned in all stadiums. These cameras will capture 29 data points per player 50 times per second. Additionally, a chip embedded within the ball will record its movement 500 times per second, generating 3D replays with avatars identical to the scanned players. The virtual match system will also offer greater insight into positional offsides by showing the goalkeeper's line of sight during shots and whether an offside player influenced the play. It will also clarify situations where the ball goes out of bounds, preventing controversies like the one seen in a past Japan vs. Spain match. Lenovo will provide the AI-powered infrastructure platform for the tournament, enhancing the quality of footage from referee body cameras.