VAR scenes to be seen live in the stadium: Numerous innovations at the Club World Cup
The significantly larger field of participants makes the Club World Cup more important. At the same time, the tournament serves as a platform for testing technological innovations.
At the Club World Cup, scenes to be reviewed will be shown live in the stadium. IMAGO/HMB-Media
The Club World Cup in the USA is just around the corner. Next week, Al-Ahly and Inter Miami will kick off the tournament, which will feature 32 teams for the first time, at 2 a.m. Saturday night. A little over a week before the kickoff in Miami, FIFA has announced the upcoming changes.
This means new procedures will be required for referees. The International Football Association Board has approved the wearing of body cameras by the referees during the tournament. The footage will be used as part of the live broadcasts of the matches by the exclusive global broadcaster DAZN , which will broadcast all matches free of charge.
FIFA aims to determine whether the new camera angle can improve the viewing experience for television and online viewers by showing the referee's perspective. The world governing body also plans to use the tournament's results to develop guidelines for the use of such cameras in football.
In addition to the body cameras, fans in the stadium will also be able to closely observe what the referees see on the monitor during on-field reviews. According to FIFA, the footage will be shown live on the giant screens in the arenas. This is intended to "facilitate understanding of the decision-making process" and "increase transparency" for spectators.
Furthermore, an advanced version of semi-automatic offside technology will be used at the Club World Cup. Using multiple cameras, a sensor in the ball, and artificial intelligence, the system tracks the positions of the players and the ball. In the event of a clear offside position, the referees will be automatically alerted in real time. However, in complex offside situations, the video referee will review the information provided by the system before making a final decision.
Tablet for substitutionsAnother innovation will directly affect the teams on the sidelines. FIFA plans to introduce a substitution tablet. This will replace traditional paperwork and manual communication to streamline and organize the substitution process.
Each team will receive a tablet before kickoff to digitally manage requests. This ensures that everyone who needs this information is aligned and has a clear overview of the remaining substitutions.
"FIFA prides itself on continually breaking new ground at its elite tournaments, and the FIFA Club World Cup will continue this trend. With the best clubs competing for the world title, it's only fitting that these groundbreaking innovations will be featured at such a prestigious tournament," FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström commented on the numerous technical improvements. "FIFA is always striving to improve football, and these innovations will provide fans with a better experience, smoother operations, and streamlined refereeing decisions."
