Former German referee expects more AI in officiating, even on fouls
Referee Felix Brych smiles during an interview with the German Press Agency (dpa) at the launch of his book "Aus kurzer Distanz" (from a short distance). Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have a growing influence in the officiating football matches, including the detection of fouls, former Bundesliga referee Felix Brych believes. Peter Kneffel/dpa
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have a growing influence in the officiating football matches, including the detection of fouls, former Bundesliga referee Felix Brych believes.
"AI calculates if someone is offside. There are even the first tests on how to calculate physical contact - was it really enough for a player to fall?" Brych told weekly Die Zeit.
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Brych, 49, ended his career spanning two decades last month after a record 359 games in the Bundesliga and 69 in the Champions League.
He said it was important for him to rely on his own perception and not just on the increasingly integrated technical aids.
"If someone falls down without being hit, his team-mates immediately look at me. They want to know: What's the referee doing now?" Brych said.
"If, on the other hand, someone is fouled properly, the team-mates first want to know how badly their team-mate has been hit. They then react a fraction later."
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