Adidas (world leader in the sports goods sector with a turnover of 21.2 billion euros in 2021) presented the official ball of the Qatar World Cup which name is Al Rilha. The German company has created a new ball connected to new generation technology. The new technology will serve to improve the VAR (Video Assistant Referee ) system, providing an extremely precise level of data and information to help referees, in the “hottest” moments of the game. Overall Al Rilha helps to make the match faster and more accurate decisions. This ball is made in Pakistan at Sialkot.
Al Rihla is the first technological official ball in World Cup history that comes with innovative features and provides accurate ball data in real-time. This innovative ball can contribute to FIFA’s semi-automatic offside and VAR system so that referees can make quick decisions while minimizing the error threshold.
Al Rihla, the Qatar 2022 ball
Al Rihla, the Qatar 2022 ball, will be used in all 64 matches of the event. This ball will not be sold or available in retail. Before selecting this ball for Qatar World Cup, this ball has undergone rigorous and accurate blind tests at the FIFA Arab Cup and the 2021 Club World Cup held in Abu Dhabi. FIFA ensures Al Rihla’s efficiency and reliability of the data.
A 500 Hz Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) motion sensor is installed inside the ball. As a result, the ball can provide a total view of the movement of the sphere without affecting the footballer’s performance. A rechargeable battery is in the sensor that can be charged by induction. In a sign of the close collaboration between FIFA and KINEXON (FIFA Preferred Provider Live Player & Ball Tracking software) the system helps Video Match Officials to review data. This system can the moments 500 times per second. So Video Match Officials can provide a quick decision on offside situations and on the unclear touches of the players. As a result, it improves the quality and speed of the decision-making process of the VAR.
Press Release about Al Rihla
According to the statement of Holger Kraetschmer, Adidas Head of Consumer Foresight, Strategy, Adidas is committed to making an active and consistent contribution to improving modern play for both players and fans. The introduction of the sensor ball is the continuation of technological innovations in football. Later, football fans have seen the use of technology in the boots and kits of the players. This is the first time technology is being used in football. Holger Kraetschmer also said, “technology and innovation are at the heart of everything we do.” Additionally Holger Kraetschmer said
This technology is the culmination of three years of dedicated research and testing by FIFA and our partner adidas to provide the best possible experience for referees, teams, players and fans traveling to Qatar later this year.
Johannes Holzmüller, Director of Football Technology & Innovation at FIFA, expects football fans to enjoy semi-automated offside and technological ball technology at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.