What is FIFA's live-ball tracking mechanism? How does the equipment work at World Cup?

The introduction of new technology at the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar has spiced things up making matches more interesting. While the video assistant referee (VAR) technology has played a crucial role in ruling out offside goals, another piece of technology marked its debut at football's biggest event. The piece of technology in question is the live ball-tracking mechanism. This is the first time that such technology has been used at FIFA World Cup.

What is the live-ball tracking technology and how does it work?

The FIFA World Cup live-ball tracking technology is equipped within the official match ball of FIFA World Cup 2022, named Al Rihla. The technology designed by KINEXON, a Germany-based AI solutions provider. The official FIFA World Cup ball contains a lightweight sensor inside, which was in development and put to testing for six years before receiving full FIFA certification.

If you are still wondering how the technology works, these sensors, which are built with an intertial measurement unit (IMU), can utilise the ultra-wideband (UWB) radio frequency, besides providing real-time spatial positioning and movement information. KINEXON’s in-ball device is supported by suspension technology provided by Adidas to ensure the technology stays within the ball. The information on the KINEXON'S website states that the sensor combines UWB and IMU technology and is networked with a Local Positioning System around the pitch to provide ​“through the air” raw data on position, movement and touch in real-time.

The information provided from the sensors is made available as a comprehensive data package. This includes data concerning distance covered by the ball, the ball's acceleration and speed, how far players sprinted during attacking and defending, what the dribbling speed was at any given time, the speed at which the ball was shot during goals, passing accuracy of the teams, etc. 

How does the censor help in tracking off-side decisions?

The ball sensor is paired with optical camera tracking from Hawk-Eye. Twelve Hawk-Eye cameras are set up around the stadium, tracking both the ball itself and each player 50 times per second. Twenty-nine separate points of the body are tracked for players, including limbs. When combined, these two data sources allow for offside decisions that are not just highly accurate, but also available much faster than in the past.