Is technology ruining sport?

This year, technology has more influence in officiating sports than ever before.

At the men's World Cup, the role of virtual assistant referee technology (VAR) has been extended to include two more on-pitch scenarios while in tennis, umpires use electric line calling systems (ELC) to make final decisions.

Both bits of kit aim to improve the accuracy. It’s become easier to consider match-defining moments through these tracking and review systems’ specialised cameras. But, this information takes human officials valuable time to analyse.

Football fans criticise VAR for this reason, saying it delays match momentum. Top ranking tennis players Aryna Sabalenka and Alexander Zverev have also complained as these systems are not yet infallible. If technology is as imperfect as a human referee or umpire and can interrupt the fan experience too, why do elite sports rely on it?

This week on The Inquiry we’re asking, ‘Is technology ruining sport?’

Contributors Carlo de Marchis, independent advisor in sports and media technology in Italy

Dr Otto Koblinger, former sports scientist, Munich Technical University, Germany and senior data manager, Saudi Pro League

Professor Odilon Roble, sport philosopher and psychoanalyst, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil

Matt Moore, associate dean, University of Kentucky’s college of social work, US

Presenter: Tanya Beckett Producer: Evie Yabsley Researcher: Amelia Cox Editor: Tom Bigwood Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey

(Photo: VAR check. Credit: Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(597)

Can Brussels crack the gender pay gap?

A new directive strives to narrow the 11% hourly wage gap between men and women in the EU.Around the world, the gender pay gap has been shrinking as women gain access to higher education and better em...

16 Jun 23min

Why does Ebola keep coming back?

In May 2026, the World Health Organization declared an Ebola outbreak in western Africa a public health emergency of international concern. Within days, hundreds of cases had been recorded in the Demo...

9 Jun 24min

Is Portugal’s drugs policy in need of reform?

In 2001, Portugal decriminalised the possession and use of all illicit drugs. It was a move designed to mitigate the country’s public health crisis, which at the time meant Portugal had one of the wor...

2 Jun 23min

What’s the future for monetary unions?

At the beginning of this year Bulgaria, considered as one of the poorest countries in the European Union, became the latest to officially join the eurozone. Bulgaria’s legal tender since 1881 had been...

26 Mai 23min

Are the Himalayan glaciers at a tipping point?

The Himalayan glaciers are melting more rapidly as global temperatures rise, raising concerns about the future of ecosystems and communities across the Himalayan mountain range. Glaciers store more th...

19 Mai 24min

What is the future of the European Union?

The recent election result in Hungary has been seen as a welcome relief within the European Union.The bloc of 27 nations has, at times, felt frustrated with the country for blocking what the other 26 ...

12 Mai 23min

Are countries really running out of jet fuel?

Global oil markets have been affected by the US Israel war with Iran, leading to higher jet fuel prices and increased attention on supply risks.But how serious is the situation? While some experts poi...

2 Mai 24min