 RFID
at the World Cup
Every ticket holder of 2006 FIFA World Cup games are carrying an RFID
(radio frequency identification) tag, scanned whenever a fan arrives at
the gates of any of the 12 stadiums across Germany.
Philips supplied the RFID tags, the track-and-trace chips are to combat
counterfeiting and ensure only those with legitimate tickets can get in
to watch the matches.
At the games themselves, referees come under fire not only for an imbalance
of penalties but also scoring accuracy.
In last Sunday weeks 1-1 draw between France and South Korea FIFA refs
said the South Korean goalkeeper, Lee Woon Jae managed to keep the ball
out of the goal before it had crossed the line.
Television replays, however, clearly showed that the ball had indeed
crossed the line and the referee should have allowed the goal.
This and other similar episodes could have been settled by
"smart balls" which contain a microchip that sends out a radio
signal to refs whenever the ball crosses the touch line, but it's said
FIFA say that technology is still regarded as 'imperfect'.
Source: Wireless
Institute of Australia
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