Home
Technological advancement has been a boon for the present generation. from wireless phones to the AI world, technology has come a long way. The advancement isn't just restricted to the common man but the world of sport has graced it with open hands.
Back in the late 90s while the world was shifting from telegram to telephone a lot of sports decided to induct technology into decision-making. Fair to say that the naked eye can make a lot of mistakes. To every cricket fan, we have appreciated Sachin's dominance at the top in every record but an unwanted record will always loom over cricket's expansion. While cricket decided to use the third umpire for close calls and have a replay off the field, Sachin was the first batsman to be given out by a third umpire. Well, the god of cricket is number 1 in every department, and when the cricket world was taking such a life-changing decision why would the god be second? While the cricketing world has come a long way and more changes have been done and with that other sports have grown too.
Let's look at some of the major changes and the technical rules that were implemented in other sports.
Computerised scoring
While you may wonder if every sport has computerised scoring on their display but there is one sport where it plays a crucial role and that is bowling. Although technology has helped the people who play the game for fun rather than the professional athletes but the induction of this particular thing has eased the game and kept the competition healthy.
Kinetic energy recovery system
While the thing may sound scientific considering the use of the word kinetic energy in it it's pretty basic. It's a part used in formula one racing and is used to boost the acceleration in a later stage from the energy generated while barking. Introduced in 2009, the environment-friendly device is an optional part as many teams do not use it considering the 35 kg weight it carries.
Radar Gun
Often used to know the speed of the ball, it's used in a lot of sports right from baseball to racing. The radar gun allows pitchers and their organizations to track development and pitch speed can either make or break a pitcher looking to make it into the Majors.
Photo Finishes
How can we forget the icon Mikha Singh picture that showed his 4th position finish? similar to that photo finishes are often used in track and field, Olympic races, animal racing, and other forms of sports where minute details are needed. For instance, if 2 players are tied on the same minute and even the same second of the clock a camera that can capture 3000 frames per second would be an ideal tool to determine the winner.
Hawkeye Tracking system
How to differentiate whether a ball is in or out of the line in tennis? Hawkeye is the tool used in such a case. As the name suggests Hawkeye is a tracking system that is used to determine the exact landing of the ball. In cases where the chair umpire or even the assistant umpires commit a mistake, a player can challenge the decision. A player is given 3 reviews per set and he/she can use them to their advantage.
Heart monitoring
While the tool is a pan sports tool it is majorly used by athletes to determine their strength. From runners to even top-level athletes in other sports, the technology is used by people to track their body strengths and how they are performing. While many monitors have gone to the next level and have added a feature that alerts on malnutrition and dehydration. The tool has become a boon for many
The Decision Review System (DRS) is a technology-based process for assisting match officials with their decision-making. The on-field umpires can ask for a third umpire assistant for a clear call. While in cricket a player can review and the call is then taken to the third umpire. Cricket is one such game where multiple technologies are used when a Drs is taken. Right from Hot Spot which is used to determine the exact impact of the ball where a batsman is hit. Whether the ball is hit on his glove, bat, or even pad can be determined through the use of a hotspot. Another tool that comes in handy is sniko which can tell the faintest of edges or whether the bat hit the ball or the pad. The third and final tool used is ball tracking. that tells you about the impact of the ball and whether the LBW call stands or not.
Video Assistant Referees (VAR)
The rule came under scrutiny for the decisions that went against footballers but fair to say that football is one such sport where no player would be happy with the decision going against their way. The competitiveness, however, forced the authorities to implement certain rules to counter the wrong decisions or negligence from referees on the field. as the name suggests the video assistant referee keeps a track of whether there was a foul in the build-up to the goal or someone was offside or a red card tackle was missed on the field. Sometimes the calls are so close that the video assistant referee asks the on-field referee to check whether the change in decision needs to be made.
