Non-Invasive Soccer Goal Line Technology: An Executive Summary

Andrew Phan ID#24969581

E190W Hong

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Introduction: The Problem of Current Goal Detection Systems

Arguably the most culturally significant sport in the world, soccer attracts millions of

watchers worldwide with every World Cup. A popular sport like soccer deserves the utmost level

of attention in ensuring that goals are legitimate; unfortunately, such is not the case. Human

referees are unable to consistently make correct calls, particularly when the soccer ball has

completely crossed the goal line to count as a point for the opposing team. While experienced

referees are hired for every major tournament, referees are only human; other existing backup

methods of rule enforcement have their own set of flaws. Spagnolo et al. provide a potential

solution to this problem in the article “Non-Invasive Soccer Goal Line Technology: A Real Case

Study.”

Solution: A Visual-Based Goal Line System

The solution in question is a visual-based system that detects the ball in real time. Six

cameras are stationed around the soccer field in key positions, and a central unit processes

incoming data from the six cameras to detect where the soccer ball is. This allows for precise ball

tracking to ensure that in the event of a goal, the ball has indeed crossed the goal line.

Supporting Argument: Advantages Over Preexisting Systems

The goal line system directly solves flaws of preexisting systems. The system will be more

accurate in tracking the ball than referees, especially in more chaotic situations. The proposed

system acts in real time, so no pausing is required to confirm or reject a goal, unlike with an

instant-replay video. The system will also be non-invasive; it does not require putting sensors
into the soccer ball, which could change the weight and behavior of the ball when kicked. The

system directly addresses the flaws of its competitors.

Supporting Argument: Real World Experimental Data

The system has been tested in experiments to judge its accuracy with different ball

movements, with impressive results. The goal line system was also tested during real matches

and performed similarly well. For example, in order to obtain real world results, the system went

through nineteen matches in the Italian Serie A Championship. Out of thirty-three goals that

were made throughout those matches, the system was able to correctly identify all thirty-three of

them. The system also identified one false positive, recognizing the pattern of a ball on a player’s

shorts and mistaking it as the actual soccer ball. However, the article argues that the system code

can be further optimized so that these errors do not happen.

Conclusion: Final Thoughts

Soccer is the world’s most popular sport; however, it is plagued with referees making bad

calls on whether a goal has been made. This problem can be solved with a camera-based system

that tracks the ball in real time, ensuring that any goals that occur are legitimate. The system has

already been tested, both in experiments and in real world matches, with promising results.

Given further optimizations of the system code, this goal line system could be the future go-to

solution for confirming goals in professional soccer matches.

A proper goal-detection system is key in ensuring the integrity of such a respected sport;

this system not only addresses the flaws of other solutions, but has even been tested in real world

matches, with strong success. The goal line system should be the go-to solution for confirming

goals in future professional soccer matches.

 References

[1] P. Spagnolo, M. Leo, P. Mazzeo, M. Nitti, E. Stella and A. Distante, "Non-Invasive Soccer

Goal Line Technology: A Real Case Study", 2013 IEEE Conference on Computer Vision

and Pattern Recognition Workshops, 2013. Available: 10.1109/cvprw.2013.147

[Accessed 2 November 2019].