FootyTech

This weekend sports fans will be able to watch the Premiership game between Arsenal & Manchester United in 3D!

Sky Sports is broadcasting the match to selected pubs in the UK, and punters will need to don special glasses to see it in 3D [Insert Beer Goggles gag here]. There is no word if these goggles will be in team colours.

All this is the the prelude to Sky launching their own 3D channel, and from April they will be delivering 3D tellys to hundreds of pubs and will broadcast a premier League match every weekend (closely followed by every Monday, Tuesday & Thursday no doubt)

Sky is banking on 3D TVs becoming available later this year, and when they do they’ll roll out a dedicated 3D channel for HD subscribers. There’s no word on how much this 3D channel will cost, or how much the TVs will cost so I’m applying the saying “If you have to ask, you can’t afford it”

“Here, Rodders, take a look at these footballs. I got 24 boxes of em off Micky down the market, top quality they are.”

“But Derrick, you don’t even like football”

“These Rodders are state of the art, they’ve got a grip and groove texture on the surface that gives unmatched flight characteristics, it’s the most stable and most accurate Adidas ball ever.”

“How do you know that Derrick?”

“It says so on the box Roddney you plonker.”

“Let me have a look at those. These are a bit heavy aren’t they?”

“That’s what gives them their extra stability Rodders, they’re proper cushty! These things are going to sell like hot cakes, they’re sold by Nelson Mandela!”

“Derrick, we live in Nelson Mandela Towers, that’s not the same thing.”

“This time next year Rodders, we’ll be millionaires! Luvley Jabulani!”

“Del, these are rugby balls.”

—

Buy an Adidas Jabulani, or an Adidas Jabulani Replica (But not from the Trotters! )

Watch the Adidas Jabulani being made.

While they seem allergic to any use of TV related technology on the field, FIFA have signed a deal with their Official Partner, Sony, to broadcast up to 25 matches in 3D, that’s 3 … D

Back in October Sony announced 2 systems for capturing 3D sports events, one that used a single camera to capture an image, and one designed for football that uses 3 separate cameras that get merged into 1 image by clever software.

The announcement doesn’t mention which technology is being used in the World Cup, but you’d have to assume it’s the one they designed especially for football.

The World Cup however won’t be the first sporting event to be broadcast in 3D, (it’s not being broadcast in 3D live at all by the look of it, Sony will distribute a film after the event.) that honour went to the peanut huggers when the 2008 6 Nations game between England and Scotland was shown in a London cinema. There are also plans to show parts of the 2012 Olympic games in 3D too.

Even though the highest echelons of soccer seem to be allergic to any kind of technology, pretty much the whole of the rest of the game thrives off it. TV companies use it to endlessly replay controversial decisions, and coaches use it to train and develop their players.

The latest gadget doing the rounds is from Seattle Sports Science, based in, er, Seattle. The Sidekick is a device that lets coaches deliver the ball with accuracy every time.

Invented by boffins from Microsoft, IBM & Phillips The Sidekick can be used in drills for outfield players and goalkeepers alike. Defenders can practice defending long hoofs up the field, and goalkeepers can use it to improve their reactions, as seen in this video of The Dallas

A Brand New Toy from FC Dallas on Vimeo.

So everyone’s fed up of the Ireland/France saga, everyone except the referee saw Henry’s hand ball and every has their own opinions on what should have happened to make it fair, even FIFA had their own idea … well if you count “nothing” as an idea.

Back in October FIFA President Sepp Blatter indcated that FIFA were no longer totally opposed to goal line technology, and that Hawkeye might get the chance to demonstrate their technology.

“Now the inventor of Hawk-Eye has said publicly that his system would work. We will gladly take a look at it. He can demonstrate his system.”

We’ve covered various types of goal line tech in the past, but this would appear to put Hawkeye in the driving seat, but I wouldn’t expect this to be in Motty’s armoury when he’s commentating on the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, but maybe one of the lesser tournaments that follow.

Whatever happens, it won’t be the last time we talk about goal line technology.

Software boffins at the University of Nottingham believe they have solved the logistical nightmare of organizing the fixture list for the various English football leagues. The problem sounds simple at first but there are various real life problems that complicate things.

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