Smart Technology, Safe Environment

As a sport with a lot of international competition – soccer is known to have one of the most diverse fan bases. That reasoning alone is enough to understand the importance of creating safe environments for the players as well as the fans. There have been numerous incidents of racism and discrimination across many professional levels. Leagues and team personnel have taken different approaches to combat these unfortunate situations. However, one common and consistent issue leagues are facing is catching these incidents in real time.?

The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) has partnered with the Netherlands government’s Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport to help tackle the issue of fan safety and discrimination in stadiums. Smart technology will be used to detect and identify fans who commit racist and discriminatory behavior during matches. The technology includes in-venue cameras, artificial intelligence, and sound equipment. The government has donated $1 million towards this pilot project which will also be supported by other domestic stakeholders. Three stadiums will begin to see the additional new technology: Feyenoord, PSV, and PEC Zwolle. Long-term changes are expected to be implemented as these stadiums are home to the top 3 teams in the federation.

PSV’s Philips Stadion will use cameras to monitor crowd chants. Artificial intelligence will be used to detect concerning and irregular language. A human operator then listens to the audio to determine necessary action and pick up on any inappropriate or racist remarks.

According to the KNVB, “After one year, it should become clear whether, and how, these smart technologies have helped to identify racism and discrimination and to identify those responsibly,". These additional safety measures were put into place after facial recognition cameras were added in Mexican stadiums following a violent brawl early this year.

While these measures are a good first step towards establishing a safe environment for fans, the most important step is the discipline and action taken after the offenses. Many players have been subject to racial abuse before, after, and even during games.?The likes of Heung-min Son, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, and Mario Ballotelli?have not been above the verbal abuse from the stands. Over the years, matches have been paused and canceled as a result of such situations. It’s up to the leagues and teams to set the standards and enforce strict policies against such behaviors.?