Smartphones will soon provide less controversial video evidence: according to media reports, the English Premier League plans to replace the often criticized VAR (Video Assistant Referee) system with a setup made up of iPhones this year. Initially, each stadium will have a system of at least 28 Apple devices on the sidelines: the iPhone 14 will be used, as Wired magazine explains. Four of this smartphone model series will be combined together in a waterproof case with a cooling system and permanently supplied with power.
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More cameras, higher frame rates
According to the provider, the new system of smartphone cameras can track up to 10,000 data points on a player’s body and use them to calculate a 3D model – instead of just 30 body points. Previous VAR systems also had to work with about 10 to 15 cameras and record the game at 50 to 60 images per second. With iPhone cameras, this can theoretically be increased to 200 frames per second. Initially, the system will be limited to 100 images per second, Notes WiredWhich aims to “strike a balance between latency, accuracy, and cost”.
VAR systems supported by AI are intended to help referees better assess confusing game situations – and then decide on a punishable offside situation. As refereeing decisions have always been, video evidence regularly causes heated discussions among fans, most recently at Euro 2024. Additional cameras and higher frame rates should help systems based on machine learning or AI to calculate reliable 3D skeletons to capture game situations more accurately.
Ulefone Armor 25T Pro in the test: outdoor cell phone with 5G, thermal imaging and night visioniPhones in the Premier League from autumn
It’s unclear why this decision was made specifically for Apple’s iPhone 14 series. There was speculation last year that Apple was interested in the Premier League’s streaming rights, but apparently no deal was reached.
The provider of the new system did not want to provide Wired with any comparative data from its iPhone video evidence to previous VAR systems. The new flood of data makes comparisons difficult. iPhones are expected to be used in the Premier League from the autumn as part of the 2024/2025 season.
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