News: MLS, adidas to launch first "smart soccer league" in 2013

Smart league... Isn't that an oxymoron?

 

I'm sure this is a good thing. (Although, I hope that base layer of clothing is light and breathable for those enjoyable July/August matches on the schedule. And would players, such as Calen Carr, have the option to have the small data cell incorporated into their protective head gear instead?)

And I'm sure the robot players of the MLS of the future will also be more efficient, better skilled, and less likely to unionize and have demands for higher salaries and better benefits.

 

I always thought the way to fix offside was something like this. It should be a snap with computer monitoring. Simply make the sensor on the attacking player have to be behind a sensor on a defender.

 

i dont think it should be used to determine calls, but i think it would be useful for determining how much of a ********up the refs are.

 

Don't we have that already? Television replay?

 

I've always thought offside should be if any part of the offensive players body other than an arm is in line with the any part of the defender other than an arm, they're on. I.E. you could have the offensive players back foot (furthest away from defenders goal) in line with the defenders back foot (closest to the defenders own goal) going the other way on a trap, and still be on.

 

You could give the official an audible chirp every time the offensive player crossed behind the second to last defensive player. I can think of a dozen reasons off the top of my head why this would be difficult or unnecessary to implement, but I still think some form of electronic 'help' might eventually be feasible for offside.

As long as the ball and all the players have chips anyway, something might be possible.

 

Technically the rule is two defenders. We just always assume the keeper is on the line and will be one of them.

Plus you have to know wher the ball is and when its played.

Its also not valid in the attacker's defensive half, or on throw-ins and goal kicks.

 

Now coaches can see when opposing players are tired and target them. That should be fun.

 

I can't see any technology dedicated to calling offside, other than something using video replay. There just seems to be too many variables that microchips or whatever won't be able to overcome. If there is ever a groundswell of support for enhanced technology to combat bad offside calls, it would be easy enough to have some sort of video linesman who signals the referee.

 

It sounded to me like the information was going to be publicly available. No hacking required.

 

Well, I for one welcome our new robot overlords.

 

That could be backwards, or a catch-22, as it seems to me the only reason there was a groundswell on goal calls, rather than offside calls, penalties, etc, is that the public believes that line judgement is a straightforward task for a computer and the rest aren't.

 

Revs are already on it...

 

From the article:

In the future, MLS fans will be able to experience greater insight from the field of play as live, on-field player data will become an integral part of the game experience, whether watching from home or within the stadium.​

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Maybe I'm reading too much into that, but it sounds to me like the information will be available to fans as the game is being played so why not coaches as well. I guess a lot will depend on what is made available to the fans vs what is only for the coaches eyes. Should be interesting though.​

 

The article implies that the information will be available to both teams and fans live during games. The article isn't very clear on what this technology actually does though. Anyone know anything about it?

 

This technology should settle the question of whether Freddy Adu is brilliant or over-rated once and for all.

 

Naw. It will just change the discussion to about how stats don't have a place in soccer and are useless vs. states are da bomb.

 

The system is connected to a series of encrypted Ipads issued to the MLS Disciplinary Committee, with the ability for a majority of the members to agree on immediate electric shock penalites to be issued during the game to players with a simple touch on the screen.

 

Side effects may include dry mouth, as well as smart-alec and smart-assed behavior.