Technology and sport

13 Replies Christopher Roberts

Should we use more technology in sport? Well it depends on the sport I guess, or does it?


I have been watching a bit of Wimbledon lately and it’s got me thinking about technology and sport. Go back 50 years and technology had a very small part in the sporting world. There was no Hawk-Eye technology in tennis or cricket, meaning that it was purely down to human perception as to whether the point was scored, or out.

Hawk-Eye at Wimbledon

Hawk-Eye technology being used at Wimbledon

This is still true of football. Some say that it “adds to the excitement of the game” but others say that it is time to move on. Last years world cup started serious discussions into the use of technology in the sport, specifically goal line technology. There were incorrectly awarded goals as well as goals not awarded.

England was cheated of a point against Germany when the referee decided not to award a goal. It was hard for the linesman to judge, due to where he was standing, however goal line technology and goal cameras could easily have verified the truth. This wasn’t the case for England though.

England's discounted goal against Germany in the 2010 South African World Cup

The ball clearly went in the goal, however the referee decided that it was not a goal

Many sports have now adopted the use of technology to improve the accuracy of scores/results, athletics, tennis and cricket are just a few. But my question to you is should other sports yet to use the technology, like football, make the switch too, or does technology just not have a place in every sport?

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Written by Christopher Roberts
Founder and editor of Technology Bloggers, Christopher is passionate about sustainable technology and environmental initiatives. He wants to popularise critical thinking, promote responsible innovation, and excite you about the world around us.

13 thoughts on “Technology and sport”

  1. Alan Tay@it security

    I think technology should replace part of sports especially in a very sensitive judgement. It was not only the England and Germany game, but also many other games where it is hard to judge whether the ball crossed the line. Badminton as well should adopt this kind of technology. Then we don’t have to see players arguing from time to time with the referee/umpire

    Reply
    • Christopher (admin team)

      I would agree with you Alan, but what would you say to those people who say that it ‘takes the excitement out of the game’?

      Reply
      • Alan Tay@it security

        Well, I’m not too sure it is an excuse or the truth to them. Personally, I am not a big fan of England during the game with Germany. But I do feel for England when that goal was disallowed. It didn’t bring excitement to me and it ruined my mood towards the game and also it ruined the mood of the on-field players as well. It could had been a beautiful win for Germany to me, but I don’t see it that way after some unfair judgement.

        Or maybe I should just take it easy and say, ‘it’s just a game’. ^_^

        Reply
  4. David@offshore software development

    Its time we realized that technology, is a friend and not a foe.
    Not using the available technology prevailing in this world is never a smart decision. I still remember when england lost to germany because of a disallowed goal. When asked the question ‘Why didn’t we deploy proper goaline technology?’, all FIFA could say was that they weren’t prepared for such a thing to happen.

    Its time technology played a great part in sports and made it free of human error as much as possible.

    Reply
  5. Amit

    I guess it depends of the sport. For soccer i’d say it’s going to do more harm than good, since it’s not a precision sport, it’s a power sport. Take the people out of it and you also take the fun.
    However, when it comes to tennis, technologies like Hawk-Eye can make a difference and add to the quality of the game (remember the countless arguments with the referee?). And i’m saying this as a huge tennis fan.

    Reply
    • Christopher (admin team)

      I see your point, some sports but not all… not my opinion, but I get where you are coming from 🙂

      Reply
  7. Bill@sports apparel

    I think hawkeye has been one of the greatest additions to tennis in the modern era. It has been widely adopted by the players and tennis community as well. It will be interesting to see what new technology’s emerge in the coming future.

    Reply
    • Christopher (admin team)

      I agree, it will Bill. Where do you stand on the matter, are you for or against technology being used in sports like football?

      Thanks for your comments, welcome to the Technology Bloggers community!
      Christopher – Admin Team

      Reply
  8. Jarrod Frenzel@The Woodlands homes for sale

    Sports fans and players alike will naturally feel uncomfortable with using technology in sports. This is completely understandable because we’re all not used to it. However, whether we believe it or not, technology makes for more accurate calls. In time, we are going to get used to this and accept this as part of the sports culture.

    Reply
  9. Pingback: England out of the World Cup 3 times in two years! | Technology Bloggers

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