Is Football Technology Coming Home?

Football is a hot topic right now, and rightly so. But how does technology affect sport? To put it simply, more ways than you’d think! Keep reading to find out how technology is revolutionizing the game…

The great British culture

If you weren’t in your local pub every Saturday night in 2018 watching the World Cup, then where were you? Football has become a huge part of British culture, and it brings people together. So much so that experts are predicting Brits to drink 618 million pints between this May and July, and this summer is being referred to as ‘the summer of sports’.Â

Pubs are home to football, so making sure they get it right is the key to success. From having the footy played on the ‘big screen’ to investing in IT support to ensure a smooth service with no waiting time on pints, and with 2020 posing a serious threat to the hospitality industry, it’s important pubs don’t slip up.

So pubs, listen closely. Get a good screen, it’s a simple investment that will pay off, creating the ultimate experience for your customers will draw people in for the big games, with people spending an average of 90 minutes longer in the pub when the footballs on resulting in an estimate of 10% increase in sales.Â

Having reliable free guest WiFi is also a great tactic to get your customers to stay even longer, to find out more about all the benefits of having free guest WiFi read one of our latest articles here.

Covid-19 has changed the way hospitality businesses operate, so making your customers feel safe also applies to the big games, having order at table systems and contactless card payment available is a good way to create a safer, more seamless experience.

GoodWiFi will allow not only your staff but also your customers to order their pints, not investing in future proof order and pay at table technology will result in a handicap as big as David Beckham losing his right foot!

A safer future for players?

A total of 78 injuries have been recorded in the premier league so far, but is this preventable? Absolutely. Data is now able to help prevent players from running into unnecessary injuries and it’s all down to data.

Trackers and their data can now inform coaches in real-time what their players are up to, and what minor injuries they are suffering from. Having access to this kind of information allows players and coaches to make informed decisions on who to take out to prevent serious injuries, pretty clever right?Â

Computer VS the referee

Watch out players, there are more eyes on you than ever before… and not all of them belong to people.

There always has been, and always will be human error, but maybe less so with the help of computer referees. Also known as video assistance referee (VAR) these ultra-precise cameras will capture the game from every angle and will assist referees in making decisions, therefore making the game more accurate.Â

Goalkeeping technology is also keeping the game accurate and fair.  Goalline technology is made up of either camera tracking or magnetic field sensors, and these methods have been approved for use by Fifa and the International Football Association Board (IFAB). They were used in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and used 14 high-speed cameras, 7 at each goal, and were able to determine if the ball had crossed the line of the goal or not.

This intelligent and innovative technology will be sure to end up in every large football club in the coming years.

Bin the old ball

So we know technology affects the fans, the players, the pitch… but there would be no game without the ball, and you didn’t think that would be forgotten about did you?

Developed by the German company Cairos Technologies alongside Adidas, the ‘Smartfootball’ was born, and the inside of a football is much more complex than what meets the eye. ‘Smart Ball System’ is full of sensors that communicate across the pitch to track the ball’s exact movements. The ball’s movements are also available for replay in less than a second to help referees make quick, accurate decisions.

 

So roll on the summer of sport!