Is technology ruining sport?

This year, technology has more influence in officiating sports than ever before.

At the men's World Cup, the role of virtual assistant referee technology (VAR) has been extended to include two more on-pitch scenarios while in tennis, umpires use electric line calling systems (ELC) to make final decisions.

Both bits of kit aim to improve the accuracy. It’s become easier to consider match-defining moments through these tracking and review systems’ specialised cameras. But, this information takes human officials valuable time to analyse.

Football fans criticise VAR for this reason, saying it delays match momentum. Top ranking tennis players Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev have also complained as these systems are not yet infallible. If technology is as imperfect as a human referee or umpire and can interrupt the fan experience too, why do elite sports rely on it?

Contributors
Carlo de Marchis, independent adviser in sports and media technology in Italy
Dr Otto Koblinger, former sports scientist, Munich Technical University, Germany and senior data manager, Saudi Pro League
Professor Odilon Roble, sport philosopher and psychoanalyst, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil
Matt Moore, associate dean, University of Kentucky’s college of social work, US.

Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Evie Yabsley
Researcher: Amelia Cox
Sound engineer: Nicky Edwards
Production co-ordinator: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
Editor: Tom Bigwood

(Photo: VAR check. Credit: Dan Mullan/Getty Images)