Over the last few decades, the use of technology within sports has increased significantly in both how widespread it is and how innovative it is – and it’s changing the modern game as we know it. From improving tactics and training, to performance monitoring and of course decision making, everything from the way we play certain sports to how they’re watched is evolving, but these circumstances can be divisive.
Here we take a closer look at some key examples of this and consider just how much of a difference the technologies are making.
Wearables
You’d be hard-pressed to find an elite-level sport these days that doesn’t now see its athletes and referees using wearable tech. Smartwatches in particular are very popular for measuring things like player stats, but also for having regular and direct communications between coaches and competitors.
However, while there’s no denying gathering such information can be useful to help monitor and then boost performance, some have criticised the use of wearables. One of the main issues is that having to wear them can be distracting, and they can expensive to roll out on a larger scale across a full team. As such, there’s a belief the devices can in fact be a hinderance for some, or be something which gives an unfair advantage to opponents.
Video replays and measurements
You might have heard it being referred to as the ‘video referee’ in rugby union, or ‘VAR’ in football, or perhaps ‘Hawk Eye’ in tennis, but the function of these is the same – video replay analysis to help make or overturn an often-pivotal decision.
The benefits of such tech – in theory – means that any decisions will be fair and will ultimately be judged accurately, in turn making it a more even playing field. Critics of it though have highlighted the time these decisions can take (especially within football and rugby) and how this simply proves to be disruptive and takes excitement away from the game.
A few examples of this at the recent football world cup in Qatar we saw VAR being disputed by referees on numerous occasions. It will be interesting to see how well the equivalent tech is used in the Rugby World Cup this September.
Fan engagement platforms
If we consider the bigger picture, technology is also involved with how we as spectators enjoy sports. A lot of this was largely born out of the restrictions from the pandemic, but for the most part, things like VR and AR can bring stadium-like experiences into the home. What’s more, when physically at sporting venues we now have features like contactless card entry – rather than turnstiles – and in some cases even drones delivering food and drink into the stands.
The benefits here are of course around improving the overall experience and ultimately speeding up the services. What can be seen as negative though is how this can detract from the experience itself, particularly if you’re substituting a genuine visit for VR.
Final thoughts
Whether you agree with it or not, a fair point to make that today there’s no escaping the use of technology as it affects us in our daily lives now more than ever. With this, whatever tech does get used within sport, it’s like that it will be refined and improved over time to be comprehensively beneficial.
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