You may think that sports referees and umpires are old-fashioned people. How else could you explain their funny outfits and striped shirts? But the job of refereeing is actually very high-tech, and many of the tools used by refs and umpires are actually pretty cool. Let’s review a few of them here!
Instant replay & VAR
Instant replay can be used in games like basketball and football. In soccer, it’s primarily used to review disputed calls—such as goals, red cards (meaning expulsion from the game), penalties and other calls. In basketball, the game is paused while the officials review a call.
Improving technology has led to goal-line technology being used since 2012 and this was followed by video assistance for referees (VAR) in 2018. This means that in key moments of the game, referees can review decisions using replays to help make sure they are correct. This can be helpful for deciding whether a goal has been scored or not and has been used on many occasions in which a referee may have made a mistake or if they believe that it might change the outcome of the match.
The system was only used in matches where it has been approved by FIFA and UEFA; but is now also being used in many domestic or international competitions. A team can also choose not to use VAR at all if they do not want their decision making process altered by what they saw on camera.
For example, let’s say there was a goal scored but you think there should have been an offside call before the ball went into the net (your team has just lost). With VAR, an official will rewind back through footage until he finds when someone made contact with one of your players while he was offside and then make sure this information is given out loud so everyone knows why there wasn’t actually a goal scored during play time. A referee won’t always review the footage himself. Sometimes the VAR officials who sit in the war room will make the decision and inform the main referee whether his call was good, or it should be altered. If staff members agree that something needs clarification then they press the button which sends signals down cables throughout stadium speakers informing spectators about what has happened and they will explain the reason behind the call made!
Gadgets
It’s the stopwatch that referees use to keep track of time. It’s also used to measure an injured player’s injury time, and when a substitute player comes onto the field.
Whistles are used to signal the end of a game. They’re also used to signal fouls, timeouts and to stop play in general. Whistles can be made out of a variety of materials including plastic and metal, and they come in different shapes and sizes depending on what sport you’re playing.
I know this one may sound odd but referees are using spray paint. If they used chalk or something like that, it would fade away in a few minutes anyway. The referees need their own custom set of colors; how else would they be able to mark where the ball has gone out of bounds or where players are on the field?
I think we’ve covered everything you could possibly want to know about the technology referees use in their work. And I hope that now you have a better understanding of all these different tools, so next time you watch your favorite sport on TV you can be amazed by how officials handle tough situations with confidence and efficiency.