What is Goal Line technology, and is Goal Line applied at World Cup 2022?

What is Goal Line technology?

In football,

Used to determine if the ball has crossed the goal line or not. This technology is not just a sensor but a combination of systems, sensors, and computer software. Thanks to this, it assists referees in making faster and more accurate goal decisions.

This technology was first introduced at the 2014 World Cup. The French team was the first team to benefit from a goal with the support of this technology. To this day, it is still widely used in all matches, big and small, around the world.

Most popular Goal Line technologies today

There are two types of Goal Line technologies distinguished by their structure and operation. Specifically, there are Goal Line technologies with camera recognition systems and technologies with magnetic field sensors. In practice, both technologies are used together to achieve more accurate results. But what are the differences between these two technologies?

Goal Line technology using camera recognition

For this type of technology, the camera recognition system plays a crucial role. In stadiums, cameras are installed under the roof and all face the goal.

At this World Cup in Qatar, each goal has up to 7 cameras installed for monitoring. The task of these cameras is to track and record ball images at high speed. The position and image data of the ball are transmitted to computer software to determine if the ball has crossed the goal line.

With a dense camera system, the phenomenon of obstruction of view is significantly minimized. In other words, even if the goalkeeper or players obstruct the view of any camera, the computer software can still calculate the ball's position using data from the remaining cameras.

Magnetic field sensor technology

Unlike Goal Line technology using camera recognition, this type of technology uses sensors attached to the ball. Additionally, a system of wires is installed under the field within the 11-meter area to create a magnetic field zone.

Sensors inside the ball are securely and durably installed. As a result, its position remains unchanged even under very powerful shots. If this sensor moves into the magnetic field zone, data will be recorded. From there, computer software will indicate whether the ball has entered the goal or not.

How Goal Line technology works

After recording and analyzing data using magnetic field or camera recognition technology, the official result will be transmitted to the referee through wearable devices (or smartwatches). There are only two possible outcomes: GOAL or NO GOAL.

Only the on-field referee receives this result. The transmission signal is carefully encrypted to not affect the objectivity of decisions. Therefore, the operation of this technology helps reduce disputes between referee teams, teams, and fans.

Differentiating from VAR technology

Goal Line technology and VAR are both widely applied in football. Essentially, these two technologies serve different functions. Specifically:

: As analyzed, Goal Line technology helps determine if the ball has crossed the goal line or not. The result of this technology will affect the goal score of the match.

: This technology records the movements of players and the ball on the field from multiple camera angles. It helps referees review situations like collisions, offside, etc., and make more accurate decisions.

So, this article will help you understand more about Goal Line technology in football. This technology has been continuously improved over the years to provide increasingly accurate results. Let's follow the matches at the World Cup 2022 to see how effective this technology is.