Curriculum Portal

neurologyYou need to know

• Technology in sport includes equipment, devices and digital systems used to improve performance, support officiating, aid rehabilitation and enhance spectatorship.
• Performance analysis uses information about training and competition to identify strengths, weaknesses and areas for improvement.
• Video analysis allows coaches and performers to replay, slow down and review movements or tactical decisions.
• Wearable technology, such as GPS trackers and heart-rate monitors, provides data about movement and exercise intensity to help coaches plan training and recovery.
• Developments in equipment materials and design, such as lighter bicycle frames and more aerodynamic helmets, can improve sporting performance.
• Technology can improve training facilities through features such as artificial playing surfaces and controlled indoor environments.
• Protective equipment, such as helmets and impact-absorbing padding, can reduce the risk or severity of some injuries but cannot eliminate all risk.
• Rehabilitation is the process of restoring function and fitness after injury so that a performer can return to activity safely.
• Technology such as motion sensors and video analysis can help rehabilitation specialists assess movement and monitor recovery after injury.
• Officiating involves applying the rules of a sport, and technology can provide additional evidence to support officials’ decisions.
• Goal-line technology determines whether the whole ball has crossed the goal line between the posts and beneath the crossbar, then sends a signal to the referee.
• Ball-tracking technology can help determine whether a tennis ball landed in or out and can predict a cricket ball’s path when reviewing a leg-before-wicket decision.
• The video assistant referee, or VAR, uses video footage to assist the referee with specified match-changing incidents in football rather than reviewing every decision.
• Officiating technology can improve the accuracy of decisions, but equipment faults, limited camera views and human interpretation can still affect outcomes.
• Technology-assisted reviews can interrupt the flow of play and create uncertainty for performers and spectators while a decision is checked.
• Spectatorship means watching sporting events, either at a venue or remotely through media.
• Live broadcasts, streaming, action replays, multiple camera angles and on-screen statistics can increase access to sport and help spectators follow the action.
• Broadcast subscriptions, internet access and compatible devices can create financial or practical barriers to watching sport through technology.
• Expensive equipment and analysis systems can give wealthier performers and teams an advantage over those with fewer resources.
• Sporting governing bodies may restrict equipment or technology to protect safety and fair competition.

• State examples of technology used in performance, officiating, rehabilitation and spectatorship, identifying the purpose of each example.
• Describe how a named sporting technology works, using accurate details rather than simply identifying the device or system.
• Explain how a technology affects sporting performance by linking its function to a specific benefit for a performer or coach.
• Compare technology-assisted officiating with unaided officiating, making direct comparisons about accuracy, speed and the flow of play.
• Explain how technology supports rehabilitation, linking information about movement or recovery to decisions about a performer’s return to activity.
• Examine the effects of technology on spectatorship, distinguishing between improved viewing experiences and barriers to access.
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a sporting technology for relevant groups, supporting each point with a sporting example and reaching a justified judgement.