Innovation on the field: How instrumented footballs are transforming the football world cup

By katielmills

The Oceanuz is the official match football of the FIFA Women’s World Cup that kicks off in Australia and New Zealand on Thursday 20th July 2023. It is the latest football to embed the ‘Connected Ball technology’ to provide officials with instantaneous information to optimise decision-making and provide new insights to fans. 

The Al-Rihla football was the first official world cup match ball to embed this technology that is developed in collaboration between Adidas, FIFA and Kinexon. A 500 Hz inertial measurement unit (IMU) is suspended at the centre of the football to measure various aspects of the motion and orientation of the football. The technology is embedded with other technologies such as semi-automated offside technology to optimise decision making.

An example of the technology being used to assist officiating was in the 2022 Qatar Cup between Portugal and Uruguay. The high accuracy and sensitivity of the technology were used to confirm that Cristiano Ronaldo had not touched the football on its path towards goal, rightfully awarding the goal to Fernandes. This decision was made based on the absence of any measured external force on the football.

Figure 1: Ronaldo heading the football but no contact is measured by the football [Left]. The contact of the initial pass by Bruno Fernandes [Right]. Available from: https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/37634372/fifa-tech-confirms-ronaldo-didnt-score-portugal-opener

Other licensees are also adopting this technology, Select Sports have expanded their use of instrumented balls from handball to football. Unlike the Adidas-connected technology, the chip within the select sports football is embedded into the bladder of the IBall with counterweights placed around the circumference to balance the football. The integration of the sensor within the football is an aspect that presents innovative opportunities. 

Al-Rihla football showing embedded IMU and corded suspension system [Left], and the iball embedding the sensor into the bladder layer [Right]. Available from: https://news.adidas.com/football/adidas-reveals-the-first-fifa-world-cup–official-match-ball-featuring-connected-ball-technology/s/cccb7187-a67c-4166-b57d-2b28f1d36fa0

The use of instrumented footballs presents numerous benefits to player development, tactical analysis, officiating and fan engagement. As the use of these footballs increases, it is likely other leagues and competitions may adopt these types of advanced footballs. Consequently, football trajectories, speeds and spin rates could become a frequent statistical feature on television screens, further enhancing the viewing experience for football enthusiasts. The use of instrumented footballs presents exciting possibilities for leveraging data-driven insights and technology in the game of football.

For more information on the iball check out: https://www.select-sport.com/pages/iball.

About katielmills

My name is Katie Mills, I am currently a PhD student in the Sports Engineering Research Group (SERG) at Sheffield Hallam University. My research specialises in football-impact dynamics with a background in Mechanical Engineering. I am proficient in the use of high speed cameras and force platforms to measure the force and deformation behaviour of a football in response to an impact. I have used this equipment to improve the understanding of how the construction of a football contributes to its behaviour during and after an impact to inform relevant test protocols. I completed a Masters in Mechanical engineering from The University of Sheffield in 2020, and have applied much of the knowledge I gained during my degree to understand the theory behind football behaviour.