GoalControl to provide goal-line tech during 2014 World Cup

The 2014 World Cup will take place in Brazil, and folks are already beginning to prepare for the tournament. As qualifying goes on as we speak, organizers are working on a new system that will electronically detect when a goal has been scored, and it was just announced today that GoalControl will be providing the technology necessary.

This isn't the first time that we've discussed goal-line technology for the 2014 World Cup. FIFA initially announced it back in February. However, more details were released today on how exactly it all will work. Overall, the stadium has 14 cameras spread out amongst it, with 7 cameras focusing on each of the two goals in order to detect when a goal is scored.

All objects that are within the cameras' field of view are tracked, but the players and referees are cleverly filtered out, leaving just the ball being tracked. The ball's position is continuously and automatically captured in three dimensions (X-, Y- and Z-coordinates) whenever it gets close to the goal, in order to accurately judge where the ball is.

If the ball crosses the goal line, the system sends an encrypted signal to a watch that referees will be wearing. The signal is sent in less than a second after the ball has passed the goal line. Plus, a virtual 3D image of any portions of the playing field can be shown on the big screen from any camera angle, thanks to those 14 strategically-placed cameras. It also doesn't hurt to know that the 2014 World Cup will be broadcasted in 4K.

[via BBC News]

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