Robo-Whistle!!! You are Off-Side, Sir!!!

With the amazing improvements in technology over the years, many sports have been trying more and more ways to get the right decisions at the moment rather than relying on the referee's decision who is only human. It has always been a question of bringing technology in without hindering the fun and sanctity of the sport.

Whether it be cricket which used the 3rd umpire
for run-outs and stumpings to begin with and then has gone forward to boundaries, catches etc. There was always the traditionalist in minority screaming that lets not lose the human element. But I guess the competitiveness involved and the stakes being higher and higher with time, this has led to relying on technology to find the neutral decision which the umpire as human cant provide.

With the new challenge rule applied in Tennis recently where the the players have a few times where they can question a call which goes for a video replay, I think it has helped the game. Players know they wont miss out on the bad calls nor will they get any in their favor.

There have been questions on whether football should also incorporate technology for the off-sides which has become more and more tough to call with the players training harder and the defenses maintaining their lines. It has become a tough job for the referee to keep up with the pace. I was only wondering, if they do go ahead with it, wouldn't it hinder the pace of the game? They have to be really careful because unlike tennis or cricket, football is a continuous play sport. The time doesn't really stop and any stoppages only break the flow. I as a fan wouldn't really want the game to stop too much.



They will have to be careful as to how they go ahead with it if they do. Will the players wear some special device which will be caught by moving sensors at both ends of the pitch? I am really wondering how they can implement. If they plan on just providing an opportunity for players to question an off-side and see a replay, I don't see that being beneficial. The game would just become too slow. That wouldn't be the right way to go about it.

Maybe they should have robots instead of referees, running across the lines and they have some sort of laser line-of-sight passing through the horizontal width of the pitch. A forward cannot cross the line towards the goal unless a defender has already done so. Of course the off-side has to be seen when the ball is played forward and when the forward player breaks. Even if they go ahead with it, if they require it, I have no idea how they will go about it.

The bottom line is, the sanctity of the game is at stake. Some creative technical minds required for this.