FortKnightley: ‘You’re going to have to change your decision’
Felsted’s Director of Sport Blog ‘FortKnightley’ will look at sporting issues that are relevant today and leave you all with something to think about. Follow on twitter @dirfelstedsport
 

‘You’re going to have to change your decision’  

The adrenaline rush of scoring a goal, touching down for a try, crossing the finish line or taking a wicket has often been likened to an addiction by the many who play sport and many an ex player talks about the struggle with replacing that unbridled joy after the boots, spikes or cleats are hung up. It might be that the modern player at the top level will be spared that dilemma post career with the growth of technology in the many sports negating the need to get too excited to early!
 


Those of you who have avoided the Christmas feast of sport over the recent holiday period, which I would certainly have not recommended, would have still done well to escape hearing that nasty three letter word VAR or DRS at some point while polishing off the left-overs. 

Technology has been part of sport for many years now and coaches and players utilise it to analyse every aspect of the game, but I am not sure I have ever heard an attackers arm pit hair discussed in as much detail when reviewing a key moment in a game before, but the frustration of many was certainly evident to hear. 

For some it is ruining the very essence of sport and for others it is taking away the spontaneity that makes sport the spectacle it is. That is not the say that technology when making key decisions in a game does not have its many supporters who are just keen for the technically right decision to be made. It is clear that some sports are further advanced in the use of technology and so their spectator and playing base are more comfortable with its inclusion or possible intrusion within the game.
 


It seems how the technology is interpreted is often the key to its success, but we still hear about the camera not always telling the truth! Many a batter in cricket who would have turned on their heels in the past to a low catch know that if ‘sent upstairs’ there is a fair chance the camera will give the illusion the ball has hit the ground when possibly it hasn’t. The other issue seems to be about how accurate the technology actually is and the difficulty is guessing what happened between pixels! This certainly seems to be the despair of many a footballer and football supporter in recent weeks. The interpretation of ‘clear and obvious’ is clearly not clear and obvious and it may take another season for the supporter to get back to blaming the referee rather than the man in Stockley Park.  
 


So we might feel a little unsure to whether technology in making decisions in sporting matches is enhancing the game or not, but it seems it is here to stay and that it is very much part of elite sport. One assumes that the technology will improve in accuracy and speed potentially allowing that euphoria of scoring a goal, a try or taking a wicket to still exist as information is relayed in real time to the on field official, if indeed there is an on field official? 
 

Charlie Knightley
Director of Felsted Sport