By Brendan Lands | Staff Writer
March 18, 2025
In the world of sports, innovation is often opposed in favor of tradition. However, innovation is inevitable, and the athletes and owners who can capitalize on the opportunities provided will conquer their sport. From new football training equipment to an entirely new league for competitive golf, technology provides better talent, better training, and better fan experiences. Many of these innovations are in their infancy, and as technology improves, it will greatly transform the sporting experience for both athletes and viewers alike.
A new innovation in the football world is experimental chip tracking in football. This product will help refs more accurately spot the place of the football when a player is downed. The UFL is testing this technology right now in their season. They have a history of testing new rules before the NFL implements them. Just last year, the NFL implemented a new kickoff rule designed to improve player safety that was tested out by the UFL the year prior. The new chip in the football will allow refs to see if the ball passed the line to gain, rewarding the offense with a first down. The refs are still responsible for determining the spot of the ball when a player is downed, but now, with the help of the new technology, the chip can tell if it reached the line to gain. This replaces the famous ‘chain gang’ in hopes of a more accurate measurement.
The company TRULINE led the development of this product. They use multiple cameras to detect the location of the ball relative to the line to gain. This technology can provide a real-time graphic that displays the model football on the field, similar to the VAR system in soccer. Now, TRULINE is working on technology that would show the refs exactly where to spot the ball, eliminating human error from the process entirely.
New technology is not only changing the officiating in sports but entirely redefining training for athletes. This past year, Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels used virtual reality technology to help outshine the competition. Daniels, this past season's offensive rookie of the year, started using VR during his time at LSU. The technology allows Daniels to get more reps without risk of injury to himself. When Daniels was concussed his junior year at LSU, the simulator allowed him to see reps still, even when he wasn’t physically cleared to play.
The German company Cognilize originally developed the VR simulator for soccer players. However, the staff at LSU football caught wind of this innovation and thought it might provide an advantage to their football program. Daniels can see hundreds more reps than he would have been able to otherwise. Additionally, on the simulator, he can speed up the defense; that way, real-time in-game reps appear slower and clearer. The modern training has clearly proven effective for the young quarterback because, in just two seasons, Daniels has managed to win the Heisman Trophy and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Football isn’t the only sport capitalizing on new technology, however. Tiger Woods has teamed up with many investors to form the TGL golf league, a new indoor golf league that allows fans to watch their favorite players, even when the TOUR isn’t in season. In TGL, players hit into a massive screen that displays the hole they are playing. Outside of the full swing shot, there is a physical, rotating putting green and real-life bunkers for the players to hit out of. This makes it so that the short game of the players is still real and not dependent on the simulator.
The simulator itself uses Top Tracer tracker technology to trace the trajectory of the ball, the same technology that is used by Topgolf. A different company, Full Swing uses its technology to capture the swing of the golfer and provide real-time swing data. In order to improve the tracking, players must select what shot they are about to hit. Golfers hit off on real grass tee boxes that can accurately replicate their lie.
The indoor environment leads to a unique fan experience never before seen in golf, both in person and on TV. This league allows fans to see the more personal side of players, how they react to shots, and how they interact with one another. The league has been a great success thus far; however, it hasn’t come without some technological complications. In one instance, the Top Tracer technology actually tracked Tommy Fleetwod’s divot instead of his ball, and in perhaps the most famous incident, the simulator told Tiger Woods the incorrect distance to the pin, causing him to go long into the water and contributing to his team's loss. So, despite the gigantic technological leaps made recently in the sporting world, there is still much improvement to be made.