Computers Can’t be Corrupt, Can They?

Check it out — Serie A is actually taking some of the decision-making out of human hands this weekend, at least for one game. For the Udinese-Reggina game on Sunday, there will be fancy-pants cameras suspended above the corner flags, their unblinking eyes aimed firmly at the goallines. The cameras — which, one assumes, will be running the entire game, even when the ball is just getting bounced around in the midfield — will record at 200 frames/second (as a point of reference, movies are projected at 24 frames/second — 200 fps project at normal speed is really, really slow motion), and will be used for any goalline controversy.

Whether the games will be stopped mid-stream for review is unclear. And will the managers have to request reviews, or will they just happen? Oooh, or will they take place after the game? Could Reggina find out later that night that, instead of winning 1-0, they were mislead by useless linesmen and actually lost 2-0? And, most importantly, who is running the computer and reporting the results, and can they be bought?

Whatever they do, it better not take as damn long to do the replays as it does in the NFL. Even though I think there’s a time limit on the actual review, the whole event leads to delays long enough to make a leisurely trip to the bathroom, and then some. And that sort of lull, obviously, is not allowed in football.

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Category: Rumors & News, Serie A