From Your Pocket to the Pitch: The iPhone 17 Pro is the Newest Referee in Brazilian Football.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has recently sent shockwaves through the sports world with a groundbreaking announcement on X (formerly Twitter). In a move to modernize the beautiful game, the Maracanã Stadium is now being equipped with FIFA’s Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT). However, the true highlight of this setup isn't just the AI it’s the hardware: 28 units of the iPhone 17 Pro.

A New Scouting Camera: The iPhone 17 Pro

While traditional VAR systems often rely on specialized industrial cameras, the CBF has opted for Apple’s latest flagship. These 28 iPhones are strategically positioned across 12 tracking points around the pitch.

• 4K High Frame Rate: Leveraging the iPhone 17 Pro’s industry-leading video capabilities, the system captures the action in 4K at high frame rates, ensuring that the AI has the smoothest data possible to track player movement.

• Mobility and Integration: The choice reflects a shift toward using powerful, off-the-shelf consumer tech that offers superior image processing and connectivity compared to older, bulky broadcast equipment.

Testing the Waters

Despite the installation, the CBF noted that the system is currently in its testing phase. The federation aims to run rigorous trials to ensure 100% accuracy before officially approving its use in the Brazilian League. This cautious approach ensures that when the "iPhone-powered VAR" finally goes live, it will provide the most precise offside calls in the history of the league.

• The iPhone 17 Pro's strength lies not just in its lens, but in its Apple Silicon processor, capable of real-time image processing. This significantly reduces latency in transmitting image data to the central server for processing offside calls.

• In 2024, the English Premier League (EPL) announced the use of a technology called "Dragon" by Genius Sports, which had already utilized many older iPhone models for SAOT (Sure-of-the-Art) analysis. Brazil's choice of the latest iPhone 17 Pro represents a significant upgrade in image clarity and accuracy.

• FIFA's AI requires limb-tracking of up to 29 points per player. The iPhone's powerful Neural Engine allows for initial object and body recognition (Edge Computing) differentiation, reducing the burden on core systems.

• Compared to high-end cinematic or industrial video cameras costing millions, the iPhone 17 Pro offers greater cost-effectiveness in terms of maintenance, replacement parts, and easy and rapid cloud-based software updates. 

 

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 Source: 9to5Mac