World Cup Tech: Ref Cams, AI Offside Calls, and Microchipped Balls

Technology is now central to how the 2026 World Cup is officiated and watched. Referees are using more equipment, including a camera, microphone, and two watches, while the match ball contains a microchip and all 1,248 players were scanned in 3D.

The core purpose is clarity: helping officials resolve close calls with less ambiguity. For fans, the same systems also create clearer replays, new visualizations, and a closer look at the action.

Referee point-of-view cameras offer a closer look at tackles, goals, dribbles, and player interactions. At the World Cup, referees wear a headset with a small camera positioned over the ear.

The images are shown during games with help from Lenovo, whose AI technology stabilizes the footage to reduce motion blur. The article notes that Germany’s Bundesliga introduced a similar camera in 2024, with other European leagues later following.

Semi-automated offside technology uses at least 10 stadium cameras to track players from above. AI processes different body parts and sends an alert if a player is offside.

The ball sensor adds a crucial detail: it helps determine exactly when the pass was played. Each of the 1,248 players also spent 30 seconds in a 3D scanner, creating unique models that support more precise tracking and freeze-frame offside replays.

Snicko is used to determine whether the ball has touched another object or person. Unlike its cricket origins, which used a sensitive microphone, the World Cup version relies on the sensor inside the ball.

Goal-line technology addresses another recurring source of debate: whether the whole ball has crossed the line. Approved in 2012, it uses high-speed cameras focused on the line and sends a signal to the referee’s watch within one second.