The robotic future of pro sports

Karolina Muchova of Czech Republic returns a shot to Coco Gauff of the United States during the women's singles final match at the China Open tennis tournament at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, on Sunday, Oct 6, 2024. Sony’s Hawk-Eye Live system, which for years allowed tennis players to challenge calls and see exactly where a shot had landed, has gotten so good that it now handles all the line calls at the US Open and the Australian Open. — AP

For most of sports history, there was no recourse when a referee made a bad call. Fans could boo and players could complain, but the game went on. Instant replay changed that a few decades ago, allowing coaches to challenge a call and ask the referees to review it. That made games fairer, but it also made them slower.

Now, many professional sports are on the verge of a new technological breakthrough: automated referee systems, which get the call right every time and significantly reduce delays from reviews.