2022 World Cup Technology

Enhanced VAR

Video Assistant Referees, or VAR, was first introduced to the World Cup in 2018. It was the first competition to include the use of VAR for all matches and in all venues. In that competition, a total of 335 incidents on the field were checked, making an average of 7 per match. A total of 29 penalties were given, which was 12 more than the record of 17 penalties awarded in the 1998 World Cup. A lot has changed since then. Nowadays, there are more leagues using VAR and the rules about incidents such as handballs, what constitutes a foul, and when a player is offside, are all more precisely defined.

In the 2022 World Cup, VAR will be enhanced with the help of tracking cameras that are mounted below the stadium roofs. These monitor each player and their movement, picking up 29 data points on each player's body, 50 times per second. VAR officials can watch the footage picked up by these cameras, but they will also be able to use a video simulator that will reenact the action on the football pitch. These video simulations will also be shown in the tv broadcast, so fans can understand the decision on each incident.

Ball Tracking Technology

In addition to the cameras and video simulators, the World Cup ball will also have a sensor in it. These balls have small computers in them, that have nodes connecting them to the inner surfaces of the ball. The sensors have virtually no weight and can transmit the exact point at which a ball is kicked by a player. This will make it far easier to make decisions on when a player may be offside. Every time the ball is kicked, thrown, or punched, the sensor will send a signal to antennas that are located all around the pitch. The signal is picked up by the antennas at 500 frames per second.

Before implementing the sensor in the ball, it was tested in several matches to make sure that there is no difference to the players. The official 2022 World Cup ball was also tested by the players in the World Cup during their training sessions. They were given blind tests and had to determine which balls had the technology and which did not. The test results determined that there was negligible difference between the balls, and so it would not affect the matches.

In case you were wondering, a solution was also created for when a ball is kicked out of play and needs to be replaced. Once a ball is replaced at a throw in, set piece, goalkick, and so on, the old ball will disconnect from the system and the new ball will immediately replace it. This means that if a player is given a ball by the ball boy and immediately throws it into play, it will override the old ball’s sensor.

Air Conditioned Stadiums

One of the biggest challenges facing players is the extreme heat conditions in Qatar. It will also affect fans attending the stadiums as well, so these stadiums were all built with air conditioning systems. There are sensors all around the stadium that read the temperature. The temperature inside the stadium will be regulated and stadiums will be cooled by a series of air vents. Air from outside is drawn in using pipes, and then it is cooled, filtered, and then distributed in the stadium.

The vents are located around the pitch, in the stands. The air will not only be distributed throughout the stadium, but used air will also be sucked away and back through the pipes, where it is cleaned, cooled, and distributed again, creating a circulation. Before matches, the air will be precooled, and so even the spectators who arrive early can also enjoy sitting in cool stadiums. The mechanical engineers who designed the system also explained that the purified air will also be healthier for people with allergies, which is quite a revolutionary step in technology.