Is Technology Ruining Sport?

With goal-line technology already causing controversy in the World Cup, is technology really improving sport?

Advances in technology have dramatically altered sport in recent years; from Hawk-Eye in Wimbledon to video-refereeing in the Rugby League. For the first time, technology is having a real effect on our global sporting competitions. It has even been suggested that Hawk-Eye significantly contributed to Andy Murray’s victory at Wimbledon, when Novak Djokovic lost his cool over a Hawk-Eye decision. So should we really be relying this much on technology? Is it harming the character of our sporting competitions, or ensuring their accuracy?

Those who were anti the introduction of goal-line technology in The Fifa World Cup used the example of Rugby League matches, where they argue the ‘virtual referee’ slows down the game. This is probably true to a certain extent. But the real problem is the possibility that methods such as Hawk-Eye are not infallible, a fact proven by researchers in the paper “You Cannot Be Serious!”

Regardless, it is undeniable that Hawk-Eye can make more accurate decisions than people alone. With this in mind, the advance of technology, and the introduction of goal-line technology in The Fifa World Cup, will be crucial in ensuring fairness. So despite the controversial decisions, technology really does offer the chance to maintain the integrity of sport.