🔆 AI's on the Ball: Tech and the UEFA Euros 2024 ⚽️

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🗞️ Issue 25 // ⏱️ Read Time: 8 min

Hello 👋

“What’s your team?” If you have a response to this, chances are you feel strongly about it. Football is one of the world’s most popular sports: A source of joy and meaning for many of us. It is also a multibillion-dollar business. High stakes mean high emotions, as fans know all too well.

We are less than two weeks away from the final game at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, determining who will be the European Champion of football. This week, Team Lumiera looks at how AI and data technologies are used in football and how they have changed the game.

Tech x Football, an overview

The ‘ball’ in football

Data, machine learning, and AI are changing our experiences, and football is no exception. You know that tech is a large part of the game when the main item used in the game is tech-infused: Considering that the ball is a substantial part of football (it’s literally 50% of the word), let’s have a look at the specs of the ball used in the games. If you thought any ball would do, you’re about to learn otherwise.

The ball used in the UEFA Euros is worth $170, and believe us when we say it’s high-tech. Here’s some of the key information:

• It’s made from recycled polyester and other materials including corn fibers, sugar cane, and wood pulp, and players have spoken of the speed and distance it generates.

• The ball's position is tracked with centimeter-level accuracy up to 400 times per second through an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Sensor.

• A 500Hz IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) motion sensor collects precise ball movement data, transmitting it to Video Match Officials within seconds.

• 12-24 network antennas around the field receive UWB and IMU data, triangulating the ball's 3D position in real-time. This is done through a Local Positioning System (LPS).

  Machine learning algorithms process the collected raw sensor data to calculate metrics like ball speed and pass distance, and identify events like shots and passes within 20 milliseconds. Read that again. The data collected on the movement and position from the ball is processed, and before you are able to say the word “football”, this data is converted into events that we care about when watching a game, such as how good a shot is or how many passes that have been made.

Video Assistant Referee (VAR): AI-Powered Precision

Several technologies are important for the game. Goal Line Technology is one of them, Semi Automated Offside Technology is another. Today, we are diving deeper into VAR systems: The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system has become an integral part of modern football, and UEFA Euro 2024 is a large proponent of this technology. 

VAR is a broader system used to assist referees in making decisions on various critical aspects of the game. Apart from the technology itself, a VAR team reviews the footage and communicates with the on-field referee. This allows the referee to review the footage on a pitch-side monitor before making a final decision in tricky situations. 

While the supporters of VAR claim that it creates more fair decisions, others consider it to undermine the reasons why so many people are passionate about the game. VAR has also been criticised for being too slow, which disrupts the flow of the game. 

“You don't get many euphoric moments in life, like when people cheer and jump around when a goal is scored. However, VAR is taking away that joy.” is what one of Lumiera’s close collaborators expressed when we had a conversation on the topic.

VAR is mainly used in four key situations: 

• Goals and their build-up

• Penalty decisions 

• Direct red card incidents 

• Cases of mistaken identity

Here's what's happening behind the scenes:

• AI-Driven Analysis: VAR relies on a sophisticated combination of computer vision, sensor fusion, and machine learning algorithms to provide real-time data and analytics to referees.

• 3D Modeling: Advanced computer vision algorithms create a virtual 3D representation of the pitch, tracking players and the ball in real time.

• Machine Learning Models: Trained on massive datasets of football matches, these models can recognise patterns and events like goals, fouls, and offsides with remarkable accuracy.

• Semi-Automated Decision Making: While AI provides initial detection and analysis, final decisions still rest with human VAR officials, ensuring a balance between technology and human judgment.

Lumiera’s reflections on using tech in football

We believe that asking the right questions is important. That’s how you find solutions that are fit for purpose and this applies in both football and strategic decision-making for organisations.

Therefore, we leave you with some questions to reflect on, and would love for you to share your thoughts and opinions with us:

• Who is a football game for, and what’s the purpose of it? Is it for investors to make money on their team? Or is the main thing to provide a good experience to the spectators? We are not claiming that there is one correct answer to this question, but depending on the priorities, the extent to which technology is used might differ.

• The use of technology sometimes disrupts the game, which ruins the flow for the players on the field and the spectators. How can a more seamless experience be created?

• It’s easy to criticise a decision when you are not made aware of the factors that have been taken into consideration. How can the decision-making in football be made more transparent, so that players and spectators understand the reasoning behind a decision? How can we show when technology has been used in the decision? 

• How can we make sure that we don’t become overly reliant on the use of technology, to the extent that we become blind to the human intuition that is essential in sports?

🔆 What we are excited about

What do artists, lawyers, ML engineers, and AI startup founders have in common? The need for diverse discussions on data, AI, and technology, led us to the first Lumiera x The Newsroom dinner event on Responsible AI.

The gathering included a mixed crowd from various backgrounds, emphasising the importance of interdisciplinary conversations. Interested in exploring the intersection of technology, ethics, and society? Join us for our upcoming dinner series! Sign up through this form.

Until next time.
On behalf of Team Lumiera

Emma - CEO, Business Strategist
Sarah - CPO, Policy Specialist
Allegra - CTO, Data Specialist

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