AI in sport — AI coaching, referees, facial recognition on stadiums & more

Nowadays, sport technology is no longer limited to Hawkeye and VAR, with companies like DataRobot, IBM Cloud, Deepmind, Wordsmith, and Sportspower.ai. all disrupting the industry.

The world of sports technology has been evolving quickly, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) now used across the board, from training and performance analysis to in- and post-game analysis.

In recent years, the amount of data available in football, for example, has increased dramatically, with the use of sensors, GPS trackers, and computer vision algorithms now commonplace.

A recent IBM whitepaper confirms the rate of change across sport, with technology spend set to increase by £2.35 billion among event owners, governing bodies, and team franchises over the next few years. 

In this post we’ll point to areas which are being positively impacted by technology and identify some key players in the sports tech arena.

1. AI-augmented coaching

Did you know that AI can be used to help coaches make strategic decisions before, during, and after games? Wearable sensors and high-speed cameras can measure different maneuvres, from forward passing shots to penalty kicks in football, as well as LBWs in cricket.

This helps coaches better prepare players and develop tailored training programs for them. Sportspower.ai is a real-time coach assistant that uses algorithms to monitor every aspect of a football game, providing insights on everything from the best line-ups to substitutions and more, in real time.

AI can also help predict the strengths and weaknesses of opponents and identify the right strategy for each game. For example, Deepmind have been working with Liverpool Football Club, using data models about specific teams, to predict how players will react in certain situations.

2. AI Referees

Referees have been using Video Assistant Technology (VAR) in football for some time to help them make more accurate judgements when it comes to penalties, free kicks, and red cards. Outcomes can still rest on fine margins, however, based on the differing combinations of camera angles.  

Goal-line technology, which has been in use for over a decade, "can instantly determine whether the whole of the ball has crossed the line,” according to FIFA.

The technology relies on 14 strategically positioned cameras that stream to a group of computers. These computers use advanced image processing algorithms to confirm whether the ball has crossed the line. 

In tennis, Hawkeye is used to detect tennis balls and ensure line calls are judged more accurately. Hawkeye uses cameras but bases its inferences on statistical modeling and the basis of probability to decide where the ball was when it touched down.  

3. Reducing season ticket churn

It’s cheaper to retain ticket holders than to recruit new ones. AI can help organisations predict which ticket holders are unlikely to renew and understand the reasons why, which can help marketing managers create strategies to retain them.

AI can also help with ticket pricing. For example, DataRobot’s AI cloud-based platform can be used to determine the ticket prices for each seat. As a game approaches, prices can be adapted to maximise attendance figures and revenue.

4. AI in sports journalism 

Sports journalism is a huge industry and there’s always lots to cover. Now, journalists are being helped by AI such as Wordsmith, an AI-driven platform that can translate hard data from Major League Basketball (MLB) into narratives using natural language.

AI bots also help journalists write match reports that explain key events, statistics, and data to readers.  

5. AI-powered facial recognition at stadiums 

Facial recognition can now allow fans into games, removing the need for turnstiles.

This type of biometric technology can also identify troublemakers, spot weapons in crowds, gather crowd demographics, and analyse advertising views. 

6. Protecting sports brands from cyber attacks 

IBM Cloud is working to protect the Wimbledon brand from cyber attacks with technology that blocks millions of threats during the fortnight of play.

They use IBM QRadar Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) to identify potential threats and rank incidents in terms of urgency. The technology’s augmented intelligence gives analysts better insights so they can shape the more appropriate responses.

The balance between people and machines looks likely to remain a talking point for some time, with technology promising to change every aspect of sport — how it’s played and how and where it’s watched.

This poses lots of questions to those in charge of major sports and makes it imperative that they recognise this disruption and respond accordingly.

Technology is widely available, but knowing how to interpret it is the next big step.

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