World Sport: La Liga's New Smart Ball Detects Offside, Carlos Espi's Bicycle-Kick Goal Disallowed

According to Mundo Deportivo, late in Real Betis' 1-0 win over Real Madrid, La Liga's new smart football technology precisely detected an offside offense and cancelled Carlos Espi's bicycle-kick goal.

The match at Cartuja Stadium became chaotic in the final moments, with Betis securing a 1-0 victory and two controversial refereeing decisions occurring late in the game.

The first controversy came from a spectacular bicycle kick scored by Carlos Espi after he came on as a substitute in the 87th minute. The goal would have brought the score level at 1-1. The ball had already returned to midfield, but referee Hernandez Hernandez did not immediately restart play because he received a message from video assistant referee Javier Iglesias Villanueva requesting a review of the attack.

The review showed that Carlos Espi was offside during the build-up to the attack. The experienced Galician referee in the video operation room made the decision, with the help of an important new technology introduced in La Liga this season.

The chip installed inside the football is called a 'connected ball' and can determine offside situations more accurately than the semi-automated offside technology previously used. The system is connected to the video operation room and can identify the exact moment an offside occurs by determining the precise touch point before a potential offside, even detecting offsides by millimetres.

It was this technology that helped referees cancel Real Madrid's goal.

The technology also played a role during a corner-kick attack in the final stage of the first half. Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez initially awarded a corner because he believed Heuijsen's shot had been saved by the Betis goalkeeper. The technology's decision and the footage showed that the ball hit the crossbar. The referee ultimately awarded Betis a goal kick.

This is because the sensor can immediately confirm whether the ball has made contact.