Meet the smart watch worn by referees at the World Cup

When Australian defender Aziz Behich shared the ball with French midfielder Paul Pogba 35 minutes into the second half of the France-Australia World Cup match, the ball hit the crossbar, hit the ground and returned to the goalkeeper. Uruguayan referee Andres Cunha, however, did not hesitate to point to the center of the pitch and validate the goal that ensured the French victory in the opening of group C.

All this happened thanks to the technology used by FIFA to support the referees during the World Cup. In addition to the video referee, the infamous VAR, the judges whistling for Russian Cup matches also have a smart watch that vibrates every time the ball passes the goal line.

The model adopted this year is the Big Bang Referee 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, developed by Hublot especially for the 21st edition of the World Cup. The device used by the referees is customized and can communicate with both VAR and Goal-Line technology, which helps judges make correct bidding decisions like the second French goal on Saturday (16).

Also for the fans

Those who have not been fortunate to be a referee at the Russian World Cup can also acquire a Big Bang Referee unit. The model is sold to the general public and has some smart features like notifications about the start of each match, game information, customization with flags of the world and a number of other features offered by Wear OS, the Google's system for watches and other wearable devices.

To have such a relic, however, you will have to shell out a more than reasonable amount: each Big Bang Referee unit sells for $ 5, 200, which is over $ 19, 000 at today's price.

***

Do you know the Mega Curioso newsletter? Weekly, we produce exclusive content for lovers of the biggest curiosities and bizarres of this big world! Register your email and do not miss this way to keep in touch!

Meet the smart watch worn by referees at the World Cup via TecMundo