Ref Cam Gives New Perspective

In case you missed it, the wireless ref cam was featured in last night’s game between the MLS All Stars and A.S. Roma. The Ref Cam is a person-wearable wireless camera system designed to capture the point-of-view (POV) of the referee during live broadcast productions of sporting events. The camera is positioned at the eye level of a referee, giving viewers a first-person perspective of the field. Ref cam has been seen on other televised sports this year, including WNBA and European Rugby matches; however, with the growing use of the ref cam for major televised events, it seems as though televised sports are moving in the direction of using a ref cam with every broadcast. This is a step in the right direction for viewers because the camera angle brings you onto the pitch for a first-person perspective which allows viewers onto the field and into the action. For every call you think the ref got wrong, you can see it from the refs’ angle the moment they made the call and that adds value to viewers.

                                                      

The reaction from players, broadcasters and fans across the board has been overwhelmingly positive. From an official’s perspective, the Ref Cam can be a great tool for referee education in terms of referee positioning, acceleration, and play development. The concept behind the Ref Cam is to get the viewer as close as possible to the action on the playing surface and provide distinctive angles and a different feel for the game. The camera is small, with dimensions of 1.75 inches high by 1.125 inches wide by 3.5 inches long, and lightweight, weighing in at 3.77 ounces. The components are mounted on the referee using a customized vest and head strap and the system takes less than two minutes to set up. The ease of use and light weight makes the Ref Cam practical for any sporting event requiring a referee.

The camera was developed by Broadcast Sports Inc. and while it’s a completely independent piece of technology from Google Glass, it’s not hard to imagine networks, leagues, and organizations strapping these types of POV devices to more referees in the coming days, months, and years. Broadcast Sports INC. has a great opportunity to be at the forefront of providing viewers with unique perspectives to sporting events. Major networks are always looking for new ways to provide fans different angles and feel for the game that they may not have gotten in the past and the Ref Cam gives the fans a unique angle that puts them closer to the athletes than ever before. If fans had an umpire’s perspective they may not be arguing balls and strikes because when they realize how hard it is to make a call when the pitcher is throwing 100 mph they can understand how an umpire may miss a call.

It is great to see new technologies used to broadcast sporting events. As technology changes so do sports. Only a few years ago video replay was implemented, now it is used in almost every sporting event and even in college athletics. With new technologies like this, broadcasters can pique the viewing public’s appetite. We are a few new versions away from seeing the ref cam in action in the NFL and NBA, but with the inclusion of this new technology in high profile events viewers will start to request this new technology more often. For broadcasters, they can find a way to turn the ref cam into advertising dollars through branding the ref cam based on what company wants to sponsor its unique perspective. The ref cam is the next generation in broadcast technology, with its’ inclusion in high profile events it has become certain that this is the technology of the future. It is important for major sports to embrace this technology and give the fans what they want because if they don’t then they will miss out on a great opportunity to further engage their audience.

Written By Thomas Breslin