Should AI Work Alongside Human Referees?

[OlarValdo]

I don't think a full replacement will happen, since a human will still have to double-check what the AI decides. But if AI ever gets independent enough to do this job on its own, the real question is what will be going on with humanity by then  

[henmark]

So my questions is, if AI could reduce incorrect calls and make decision more consistent, wouldn't that make sports betting and the sports itself fairer? What you guys think?

It does make games fairer, but I think completely replacing human referees with AI in real games would never happen. AI will always be treated as a tool to make human jobs easier before leaving the final decision making to humans.

For things such as line calls, offside decisions, goal calls, and others related to yes/no decisions, AI would be so helpful. But for things that fall into a grey area, such as fouls that involve physical contact or other events that are still debatable, humans are still needed. If AI made the decisions for these kinds of events, then players might easily exploit the AI decision making process. Human referees are still needed. Also, I think one of the things that makes sports interesting is the debate and drama after a decision is made.

Sports video games, such as FIFA or eFootball, are the easiest examples of AI taking the role of decision maker. We often see or experience weird decisions by the in-game AI referee.

Completely is wrong; you are right that it should not be completely changing it. However, I do agree that we should be having some help without a doubt. If they had a system where they could upload the video from few angles to some referee AI or whatever, and that would tell the real referee what it thinks the ruling should be AND why, based on the rule book, then the referee could make the decision.

Referee could still ignore it if the AI makes a mistake, because lets face it AI's do make mistakes, but it would still be a good help in moments where it doesn't make a mistake. So in a situation where the referee goes to the VAR to watch the reply, we could have a smaller screen there with AI helping that dude out, it would not be a bad idea.

[mirakal]

I don't think a full replacement will happen, since a human will still have to double-check what the AI decides. But if AI ever gets independent enough to do this job on its own, the real question is what will be going on with humanity by then  

That is how it should always be, even in real-life jobs many companies are now already employing AI agents, but when it comes to crucial decision-making it should be done by a person. The sequence is a person will give a task to AI and then still a person will have the final approval. So it's already enough that AI could help make the calls right, as that will help maintain the integrity of the game and people will be convinced that there are no favorable or bad calls since AI is always there to review and make things right.

[Agbamoni]

The first area where AI was used since it is related to checking data and calling out errors in real time.
I think you've already gotten the answer to the question asked. AI is used in almost all sports. Including football, basketball, soccer, tennis, golf, and racing. Won't be a surprise if AI is used in all sports currently. Human referees have made lots of errors that cost a team, if AI can do better, we won't mind seeing the right call made.

[el che]

It's not a matter of if but when. The industry is heading toward total automation and human officiating is already being phased out step by step.We see it clearly in tennis, where line judges are practically extinct and Hawk Eye Live handles everything instantly. Chair umpires are already half way out the door and team sports are following close behind with semi automated offsides, VAR and automated strike zones in baseball. For bettors, removing human error and subjective ref bias makes markets way more transparent. A wrong call killing a legitimate slip isn't "part of the game", it's pure inefficiency. Once AI handles complex spatial tracking for fouls and contact, keeping human refs around for anything other than player management will seem unnecessary.

[ralle14]

Some leagues might've been doing it already, but I think it'll be limited to the top leagues because the tech prices nowadays are getting costly and it might take some time before it becomes accessible.

Other sports tweak their rules now and then, and there's just no way AI could be that perfect, to the point where it could beat multiple referees.

[YOSHIE]

So my questions is, if AI could reduce incorrect calls and make decision more consistent, wouldn't that make sports betting and the sports itself fairer? What you guys think?

Yes, that should be the case, but Al cannot completely replace human referees in sports tournaments, Al may be able to overcome or help straighten out the nature of precision, speed or objective nature, while human referees are still needed, especially in making decisions.

In essence, Al cannot handle the flow of the match and Al cannot control the emotions of each player, such as intentional or unintentional violations that often occur between players on the field, that's the importance of human referees, Al millimeters may be able to make human referees from the side of ball sensors and tracking cameras, offside and so on to ensure the flow of the match looks fair.

[Charles-Tim]

So my questions is, if AI could reduce incorrect calls and make decision more consistent, wouldn't that make sports betting and the sports itself fairer? What you guys think?

AI is used in sport very well now. I do not think there is any field that there is no AI applications there. Do not be surprised that VR and referees will be using AI by now, especially VR. And this is just the beginning, there will still be more improvement and more use of AI in the sport industry.

[Orpichukwu]

So my questions is, if AI could reduce incorrect calls and make decision more consistent, wouldn't that make sports betting and the sports itself fairer? What you guys think?

If there is a way for AI to be deployed that will help in accurately assisting referees that will be nice and supportive. At least we have the option to cross-check AI decisions and those of human referees to see if there is a biased judgement, and that will also reduce the allegations that a referee is doing favouritism instead of officiating fairly.

[mv1986]

I've been watching local volleyball and there's a scenario where the a referee made a wrong call. It got me thinking, now that AI is everywhere, is it possible for AI to replace human referees to reduce bias and avoid questionable or wrong calls? For regular fans, it's frustrating to see a questionable calls but for most bettors, one wrong call could mean losing money.

If I am not mistaken, AI are already beting used in some sports such as tennis for line calls and football for offside decisions withe the help of VAR. Right now, I realized that replacing a human referees are not completely possible. Instead, AI could work alongside them. For instance, calling a foul in basketball or other contact sports, giving penalty due to the behaviour of the player, etc. requires human judgement and AI alone won't be able to determine something like that.

So my questions is, if AI could reduce incorrect calls and make decision more consistent, wouldn't that make sports betting and the sports itself fairer? What you guys think?

I would always be a for a technical solution that adds neutrality and precision to refereeing. I remember the times when tennis was played without the Hawkeye, thinking about it, it was a ridiculous time. If you want these top athletes to play their absolute best, on the edge as much as possible, the human eye won't be able to keep up all the time.

But I know that there are still people calling for refereeing without technology. I don't get it, but that's what it is. Now it does depend on how well a software is trained. I can see how in football there would still be questionable handball decisions.

[DrBeer]

I've been watching local volleyball and there's a scenario where the a referee made a wrong call. It got me thinking, now that AI is everywhere, is it possible for AI to replace human referees to reduce bias and avoid questionable or wrong calls? For regular fans, it's frustrating to see a questionable calls but for most bettors, one wrong call could mean losing money.

If I am not mistaken, AI are already beting used in some sports such as tennis for line calls and football for offside decisions withe the help of VAR. Right now, I realized that replacing a human referees are not completely possible. Instead, AI could work alongside them. For instance, calling a foul in basketball or other contact sports, giving penalty due to the behaviour of the player, etc. requires human judgement and AI alone won't be able to determine something like that.

So my questions is, if AI could reduce incorrect calls and make decision more consistent, wouldn't that make sports betting and the sports itself fairer? What you guys think?

This is a very interesting topic!
In fact, AI can act as an unbiased, impartial judge. But… as we know, the model’s performance depends on system prompts and training, therefore, the system will operate exactly as it is trained and according to how its operational logic and rules are configured.
Here’s a very simple explanation: there’s a point of contention, and there are two possible scenarios:
1. The system is trained on real-world examples and the mistakes of real judges. The system’s decision will be unbiased and "mathematically correct".
2. The same system, but one that operates on the principle (for example) that if the query contains the team name TEAM_1, then it must find a decision that justifies the referees’ actions.

This is a classic problem that arises when people use a particular technology: often, people use it not for the greater good but to solve their own personal problems or to further their own interests.

[Rruchi man]

So my questions is, if AI could reduce incorrect calls and make decision more consistent, wouldn't that make sports betting and the sports itself fairer? What you guys think?

AI will reduce incorrect human calls but make its own wrong calls, as AI is not perfect; its output is still prone to errors.
If you check my recent post history on a topic started by Stompix, you will see the wrong answers AI gave me on fast research, big proof that AI decisions can be error-prone too.

Because AI can be prone to errors too, as humans are prone to errors in the form of wrong calls, having the two of them work together can improve efficiency and reduce the chances of wrong calls so they checkmate each other.

[KTChampions]

It's not a matter of if but when. The industry is heading toward total automation and human officiating is already being phased out step by step.We see it clearly in tennis, where line judges are practically extinct and Hawk Eye Live handles everything instantly. Chair umpires are already half way out the door and team sports are following close behind with semi automated offsides, VAR and automated strike zones in baseball. For bettors, removing human error and subjective ref bias makes markets way more transparent. A wrong call killing a legitimate slip isn't "part of the game", it's pure inefficiency. Once AI handles complex spatial tracking for fouls and contact, keeping human refs around for anything other than player management will seem unnecessary.

Tennis is currently the most striking illustration of how technology improves comfort for both players and spectators. I remember the 90s/early 2000s when nothing like this existed and players were constantly arguing with the referee whether the shot was in the court or not   Now, when in real time we can immediately watch a replay, this seems absurd. I look forward to the day when technology advances enough to take full control in football. Nowadays, a lot is determined automatically (offside, who touched the ball last), but there are still cases in every game where people make decisions, and from game to game, these decisions are generally inconsistent and infuriate fans.
For example, yesterday's non-sending off of Guler (fair in my opinion) gave rise to a whole chain of mutual accusations with the digging up of similar episodes where, for example, Rodri hits a Sevilla player in the neck, but also does not receive a card.

[o48o]

I've been watching local volleyball and there's a scenario where the a referee made a wrong call. It got me thinking, now that AI is everywhere, is it possible for AI to replace human referees to reduce bias and avoid questionable or wrong calls? For regular fans, it's frustrating to see a questionable calls but for most bettors, one wrong call could mean losing money.

If I am not mistaken, AI are already beting used in some sports such as tennis for line calls and football for offside decisions withe the help of VAR. Right now, I realized that replacing a human referees are not completely possible. Instead, AI could work alongside them. For instance, calling a foul in basketball or other contact sports, giving penalty due to the behaviour of the player, etc. requires human judgement and AI alone won't be able to determine something like that.

So my questions is, if AI could reduce incorrect calls and make decision more consistent, wouldn't that make sports betting and the sports itself fairer? What you guys think?

Not replacing them, no. There are sports where it's an useful tool, but AI doesn't "understand" anything, and even if could make decisions based on facts, it couldn't make good judgements when it doesn't get the context and behavior that humans get intuitively.

And while it's being used in some sports, my guess is that it will remain more like a hidden analytical tool in software, then something people are even talking about. Human referees remain probably always, if not for anything else, then just because they are good for the spirit of the game.

[Sandra_hakeem]

If I am not mistaken, AI are already beting used in some sports such as tennis for line calls and football for offside decisions withe the help of VAR. Right now, I realized that replacing a human referees are not completely possible. Instead, AI could work alongside them. For instance, calling a foul in basketball or other contact sports, giving penalty due to the behaviour of the player, etc. requires human judgement and AI alone won't be able to determine something like that.

So my questions is, if AI could reduce incorrect calls and make decision more consistent, wouldn't that make sports betting and the sports itself fairer? What you guys think?

AIs can be employed if they want to enforce precise accuracies during foul, penalties, etc. I don't know much about volleyball and I can't say what other penalties and offences that needs constant accurate trackings, but to make the game fair enough for everyone, an AI assistant does the job.

Why are we even discussing this? Football has adopted AIs like you said, basketball did same, different sports have now evolved with the new intelligence to correct invisible errors, why has there not been an implementation in CEV? Perhaps they fear for manipulation behind the scene?

[Iranus]

So my questions is, if AI could reduce incorrect calls and make decision more consistent, wouldn't that make sports betting and the sports itself fairer? What you guys think?

I believe that if AI is integrated into every decision making process then the drama, controversy, and thrill inherent in game will vanish. And turning it into nothing more than any robotic science project! lol.

The very emotion, where spectator sit in any coffee shop after any particular match and debating the referee’s mistake will also vanish.

So, I would prefer that AI should serve as assistant to referee. And ensuring that marginal and objective call such as those involving boundary line or offside are made accurately and instantaneously. However, decision involving subjective matter and human behavior are best left in human hands.

[coin-investor]

So my questions is, if AI could reduce incorrect calls and make decision more consistent, wouldn't that make sports betting and the sports itself fairer? What you guys think?

It can reduce incorrect calls, but it cannot be consistent because the actions between matches are dynamic, and most of the time it takes common sense to resolve it, and this is where AI are weak in its judgment.
AI can help, of course, but we should never leave it totally to AI. What we can do is to assist humans in their judgment to make a fair and consistent call.
AIs are good assistants, but not entirely reliable to put all your trust in, especially in sports that require fair play.

[Mrbluntzy]

So my questions is, if AI could reduce incorrect calls and make decision more consistent, wouldn't that make sports betting and the sports itself fairer? What you guys think?

Yes, it will make sports games fair since the human referee sometimes make mistakes that usually spark reaction among fans and even making fan wonder if the game has been rigged. I still remember the kind of massive reaction that was sparked after the match between Argentina vs Egypt in the 2026 FIFA World Cup and it was still as a result of the referee's decision which made lot of people say that the referee favoured Argentina. The use of AI alongside human referee could eliminate this kind of issue. I do not want AI to completely replace human referee because it's possible that the AI could still be manipulated but it's best it tag along with human referee.

[Awaklara]

So, I would prefer that AI should serve as assistant to referee. And ensuring that marginal and objective call such as those involving boundary line or offside are made accurately and instantaneously. However, decision involving subjective matter and human behavior are best left in human hands.

You are right, in every sports match, it's not just about playing to determine the winner. There is an emotional side to everyone who watches either directly from the stands or on television. Perhaps all of that will disappear when AI plays too big a role in decision-making. Players will also have to make many adjustments to new rules. Actually, everything can be handled by humans, but to avoid wrong decisions that could harm one of the competing parties, the use of AI might be limited to certain things that can be used as considerations by the referees.

[Obulis]

AI remains in the same "help" category of it's offer to humanity like other technological advancements, anything more than that could be a direct opposite of what it's expected to offer. A total replacement of human referees should not be an option since they can work together. Not to forget the fact that AI is hackable and so leaving the referees job for AI means allowing hackers to begin fighting the referees.