AI can already do this. A team of MIT students built a web around the field and using various camera angles can map the entire 3D space of a field. At some point they need to test it out and produce the results at the end of the game.
Having instant replay was definitely the right choice for college football. At least it helps overturn the egregious errors. However, in some ways, it makes it even more maddening when the smaller things get missed. Or when the big things are non-reviewable. Or maybe we don't have a good angle. There's never gonna be a system that gets it "right" 100% of the time because - let's face it - most of football is subjective. When was he down? Was that a forward pass or a fumble? Did he really possess that long enough to be a catch? Was there enough contact for interference? Was that holding or not? And even if such a system did exist to get it "right" all the time, the game would be unwatchable. There would be a stoppage after every single play. It's aggravating at times, but the errors are part of the game.
Its not just spotting of the ball that is egregious. UT's DL lined up in the neutral zone multiple times against the Gators...0 calls. They did it against Bama too, so its not just us. They are obviously getting taught to pinch over the line and keep doing it if the zebras won't call it. Another issue that I've seen with multiple teams is the OT lining up over a yard deep in the backfield and not being on the LOS. No zebra ever calls that only if the WR isn't up to the line.
Or... for those of us that have no lives because we re-watch the games more than 3 times... we have been noticing that cheat of 1 or 2 yards against the Gators and other schools forever, and it bugs the crap out of me. Refs sometimes straight up cheat calling ridiculous calls and missing ridiculous fouls, but the ball spot is the easiest way for them to cheat.
Here’s one I never understood. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CyddGFn7Fr4&pp=ygUZU3B1cnJpZXIgc2hvcnQgZmlyc3QgZG93bg==
I’ve been wondering for years about this. Pro tennis has the Cyclops to call balls out, don’t tell me there’s not similar technology that can much more accurately spot the ball than the refs. They could put a microchip in it and spot it accurately within a few inches if they wanted to.
