The 2022 World Cup is quickly regarded as one of the most technologically advanced tournaments in the history of world football.
One of the standout technologies is found within the Al Rihla – the official ball of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Compared to balls from previous World Cups, Al Rihla integrates some of the most modern technology available today.
Although Al Rihla is produced by Adidas, the technologies inside the ball were designed by KINEXON – a leading global company in performance tracking for various sports. These technologies were developed and tested over a six-year period before receiving full certification from the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
A special cluster of devices is integrated within the Al Rihla ball. Weighing just 14 grams, these devices are actually a set of separate sensors that operate simultaneously. The first device is a ultra-wideband (UWB) sensor. It is used to provide unprecedented precise location data, far superior to Bluetooth or GPS. The data collected will be transmitted in real-time to continuously monitor the ball’s position during the match.
Al Rihla ball.
The second device is an inertial measurement unit (IMU) – a type of sensor used to detect the nuanced movements of an object in space. Maximillian Schmidt, co-founder and CEO of KINEXON, stated: “While the ultra-wideband sensor helps us determine the position of an object, the IMU sensor provides us with detailed motion data in three-dimensional space.”
Therefore, whenever the Al Rihla ball is kicked, headed, thrown, or even just touched, the sensors will capture and process data at super-fast speeds. This data is then sent in real-time from the sensors to the local positioning system (LPS), which consists of a series of network antennas installed around the stadium to receive and store instantaneous data.
Notably, when a ball goes out of bounds during play and a new ball is introduced to replace it, KINEXON’s auxiliary system will automatically select the input data from the new ball without requiring human intervention.
However, does the integration of the internal sensor system affect the speed and trajectory of the Al Rihla ball compared to regular balls (without integrated devices)?
To verify this, Adidas conducted a series of different tests. With the assistance of clubs in various countries such as Spain, Germany, and England, tests were implemented to determine whether players could distinguish between a regular ball and one fitted with sensors.
Simultaneously, another test was conducted in a laboratory. Robotic systems were programmed to “kick” the ball at various speeds, spins, and angles. High-speed cameras then evaluated the ball’s trajectory, ensuring that the presence of the sensor did not create any abnormal flight paths.
Test results showed that players could not recognize the difference between the sensor-integrated ball and a regular ball. Conversely, the sensors within the Al Rihla ball were also installed using a suspension technology provided by Adidas. This technology allows the sensors to be located at the center of the ball and keeps them secure in a consistent position. This means the sensor cluster will continue to function normally even after powerful kicks from players.
With KINEXON’s sensor system inside the Al Rihla ball, data is processed at a frequency of 500Hz. This means the input latency of the system is up to 10 times lower than the standard 50Hz frequency, allowing all data collected from the sensors to be processed quickly and accurately with minimal error and delay.
In addition to integrating sensors within the Al Rihla ball, the Hawk-Eye optical tracking camera system – widely used in tennis – is also employed at the tournament. Twelve Hawk-Eye cameras set up around the stadium will monitor both the ball and each player 50 times per second. Twenty-nine specific points on each player’s body (including limbs) will be tracked throughout the match.
Furthermore, data from both KINEXON and Hawk-Eye will be processed using artificial intelligence software, which has been programmed to automatically issue alerts when offside situations occur for referees in the match’s video room. Instead of referees discussing situations among themselves, AI will automatically generate alerts for VAR referees to confirm. This means that the officiating team can make offside decisions with not only high accuracy but also much faster than before – a primary priority for FIFA in this World Cup.
This software also generates 3D images in offside situations to give fans a direct and visual understanding of the decision-making process of the “men in black.” This is the key feature of the technology known as “Semi-Automated Offside Technology“.
Additionally, FIFA has also implemented the Precision Time Protocol (PTP), allowing synchronization of the two data sources from KINEXON and Hawk-Eye with an accuracy of up to one microsecond, ensuring that the two data feeds never drift from each other.
