The innovative change that will be implemented at the U-20 Rugby World Cup

The Rugby Under-20 World Cup to be played in South Africa will implement this new technology to help referees make the right decisions.

The Rugby Under-20 World Cupwhich will be held in South Africa between June 24 and July 14, will be played in a “smart ball” which will help referees make the right decisions, World Rugby said on Wednesday.

As WR confirmed in a statement, the new smart ball will be tested in real world cup match conditions and unlike other projects, this one will help the referees and especially the person in charge of the video, to identify things that the human eye can hardly perceive, even with the help of slow motion.

“These points relate specifically to whether a forward pass is made, whether the ball crosses the goal line, whether the ball is caught in the air, where the ball leaves the line and whether a shot at line is direct.”said the statement.

The smart ball will be tracked in 3D and in real time using sensors placed around the pitch to determine the exact position of the ball up to 20 times per second and provide instant feedback on every kick, every pass and every shot.”

During the U-20 World Cup, the video referee will get all this information and can inform the central referee.

WR specified that this technology will not be used during the World Cup in France, which will be held from September 8 to October 28 this year. In the U-20 World Cup, Argentina will join Group C with the local team, Italy and Georgia.

How smart ball technology works

• Forward passes: It aids forward passing decisions by measuring the relative speed of the ball relative to the player as it leaves their hands, thus indicating whether the ball is “thrown forward” in the act of passing.
• Ball release location at touch: At a specific location where the ball leaves the field of play, the Gilbert smart ball ensures that the lineout is taken from the position the ball left the field of play.
• Hitting the ball in flight: It informs decision-making whether a ball has been touched in flight (for example, partial charge) by recognizing the changes in spin and trajectory caused by ball contact.
• Ball over the try line: The live location of the ball will determine if the ball has reached the try line.
• Lineout pitches: Provides instant feedback that a lineout shot is not straight by measuring the angle of the shot from the time it is released until a player touches the ball.

Which teams will compete in the Rugby Under-20 World Cup?

The main draw of the U20 World Cup in 2023 consists of the following twelve countries:

• Argentina
• Australia
• England
• Fiji
• France
• Georgia
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japanese
• New Zealand
• South Africa
• Welsh