"The NRL is entering the late stages of "forward pass" trials (currently being test run in the NRLW competition) with ball-tracking technology that has the potential to eliminate forward pass errors — among many other possibilities for the game."
"It uses technology-embedded balls created by UK-based company Sportable, the brainchild of three South African rugby fanatics who have spent the past six years refining the technology."
How does it work?
"The Steeden footballs are implanted with a piece of technology that weighs just a few grams. They contain an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a magnetometer that are charged via a cable and recycled once the ball reaches the end of its usability."
"Using that real time data, we're able to infer the angle of the passer's hands as the ball leaves the hands,"
For me, it's a yes.
Though, like the bunker, it won't solve all the issues or controversies and only time will tell, I'm sick to death of the constant inconsistencies around it and errors of judgement due to the human eye test. The human eye test can't really accurately tell at real speed if a ball is passed forward or not. This technology seems even more superior than slow motion replays. How many tries get scored off forward passes? Think the Sharks game R3. And how many those long flat cut-out passes get called out forward, because they do go forward over the distance (due to physics) that "look forward" to the human eye, but do not go forward out of the hand and deserve better? About time the NRL moves into the 21st century like so many other sports such as cricket or tennis that use technology over the eye test.
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I read that story yesterday HOE. It sounds very interesting, and will be good to see how it plays a part in the game moving forward. As they state in the story, it won't just be forward passes that the technology will help with.
What a shame they don't use this technology on players arms so that don't miss another forearm to the head like NAS.
Bugger it. NRL can easily program the gadget to rig its readings in favour of the Storm.
Actually makes it easier for the NRL to be corrupt.
That, Ruprecht, is a damn good point
Don't think they won't do it, Randy.
Storm need to be kept competitive at all costs.
NRL will welcome this as a fantastic way of influencing the result the game.
So it will slow the game down even more. It surprised me that they never needed this technology when the game was far better than it is today. When they only had 1 referee and 2 linesmen. No bunker, no videos etc...but the game was tougher, less bench. Less HIA's, no sin bin, no golden point. I'm not sure if the game has progressed but digressed.
No, just no.
why not?
So what will a ref actually do? I don't like it to be honest. The game is slowed down enough already with so many bunker calls and so on. Teach referees how to do the job instead of relying on video footage.
Forward passes have irritated me for years.
In the old days support runners used to make an effort to be behind the ball carrier to avoid forward passes.
These days how many times do you see support players in line with the passer. You can't pass backwards or flat to a player in line with you unless you are both stationary yet they use this out of the hands bullshit
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