Last year, the US Open made headlines after becoming the first grand slam event to use video-assisted review technology. More recently, players in the Barcelona Open have called for its introduction in other events. With VAR seeming inevitable in the future, fans should know how this tech works.
Video-Assisted Tennis Review Technology
Tennis is no stranger to using technology, namely the Hawkeye system that enables officials to rewatch game footage and make line calls. With VAR, the referee can receive a stream of any other foul events before making a decision. VAR has been used in football for years, and may become widespread in the future.
Video streaming is already used a lot in the entertainment industry. It forms the backbone of business models like Netflix or popular iGaming sites, as they all offer streamed content. Often, these businesses offer on-demand video or live streaming as their main product, best seen with live-streamed blackjack at Paddy’s. Using video streaming tech, players can take part in casino games from their homes or beam TV shows to their screens whenever they want. This convenience is what helped video streaming become the most popular entertainment format today. However, the same video tech can be used to monitor sports games and keep them fair by offering crisp, unbiased playbacks of disputed events.
That’s where the video-assisted review enters the fray. In tennis, this form of instant replay gives umpires a tablet. When something in the game is disputed, the VAR system will send video from multiple angles to the umpire’s chair. For transparency, it’s often broadcast for the stadium at large. It doesn’t just monitor the ball, it also follows players to make sure there are no code of conduct violations.
As mentioned, similar technology is already used in football and other sports. In football, video-assistant referees (also called VARs) are used by FIFA to check referee decisions. If the VAR finds a fault, the referee will be alerted and the game may be paused. At that point, the referee can ignore the VAR, concede to the VAR, or an on-field review occurs. Other sports that use video-assisted review technology include rugby, cricket, fencing, racing, baseball, basketball and hockey.
The Tech Tennis Already Uses
Most popular sports today are nearly a hundred years old, if not older, so fans and pundits are very wary of any changes to the game. This wasn’t helped by its US Open debut, where the VAR malfunctioned for one of Andy Murray’s first rounds. The tablet didn’t receive the VAR’s video stream, causing Murray to trash its use at the event. During his comments, Murray made it clear that he supported the technology and its continued use in the future but, like all tech, it’s important that it actually works on the day.
Grand Slam tennis got its first experience of a video-assist review system at the US Open – but the moment of history was labelled a ‘farce’ by Andy Murray after the technology malfunctioned.
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— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) August 30, 2023
Modern tennis already benefits from impressive review-assisting technology like Hawk-Eye. Originating from cricket, Hawk-Eye has since become famous for its use in tennis. It uses triangulated high-speed video cameras that calculate the ball’s position, using it to decide if the ball crossed one of the court’s lines. It can even calculate ball trajectory and generate three-dimensional simulations of how the ball traveled.
Next to a system like Hawk-Eye, putting tablets into umpires’ hands seems like a relatively small change to the game. If VAR wants to find acceptance by the world’s tennis organisations, it will need to avoid embarrassing but relatable mishaps in the future.
