A new system of cameras, developed by German company GoalControl, has received the FIFA GLT license and is being evaluated at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil. Requiring no changes to the ball, goals, net or pitch, GoalControl-4D utilizes 14 cameras that monitor the precise location of the ball. When the ball crosses the goal line, the central processing unit sends an encrypted radio signal that notifies the referee’s watch in less than one second.
Tech-enabled officiating is a different debate for each sport, but the implications of technology on gameplay and the guest experience will only increase as new discoveries and capabilities emerge. Also at play in the debate is referee and guest safety, as violent incidents in sports can easily be triggered by a call (or lack thereof) that ignites volatile reactions from an impassioned army of attendees.
From ball placement in American football to the strike zone in baseball, our culture seems to increasingly demand that our officiating transcend the limits of the human eye. Technology is rapidly trying to close the gaps of human error, but to what extent? Recent violence against referees in youth sports is a sobering reminder that until we have GoalControl-4D installed on every pee-wee field in the world, we might be forced as a culture to deal with the imperfections we all bring to the event.
Affordable Care Act Law Gets One-Year Reprieve Before Enactment
–IAVM
The Affordable Care Act that was to become effective in January 2014 has been pushed back to a January 1, 2015 deadline. In short, the delay buys employers with 50 or more employees an additional year before they must offer medical coverage to their workers or pay a fine. Continue Reading →
Soccer exhibition matches are otherwise known by the serene, calm title of a “friendly,” which conjures up all kinds of warm fuzzies and group hugs. Friendly, that is, until Mexican soccer rivals Chivas (Guadalajara) and Club America (Mexico City) square off on the field.
The teams, both lavishly worshiped by an adoring and rabid fan base, squared off at Sam Boyd Stadium on July 3 on the campus of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas and the meeting was anything but friendly amongst the teams and amongst the fans.
No matter who you are or what you do for a living, this is one dilemma you’re going to face again and again.
It happens all the time. You’re having dinner or lunch with people you work with. Everything’s fine until the check comes. Then what? Who picks up the tab?
Best case, it’s an awkward moment. Worst case, your thoughtlessness or ad-hoc solution to the dilemma can create a rift in a business relationship.
You may think it’s silly or unprofessional to make a big deal out of something as trivial as a few bucks. I couldn’t agree more. But people do. Some even keep track of who buys and who doesn’t.
The Affordable Care Act that was to become effective in January 2014 has been pushed back to a January 1, 2015 deadline. In short, the delay buys employers with 50 or more employees an additional year before they must offer medical coverage to their workers or pay a fine.
The original law that was passed in 2010 required employers with more than 50 employees working 30 or more hours a week to offer suitable health coverage or be penalized by a fine. With the 2014 mandate rapidly approaching, businesses made their voices heard that they needed more time to understand how to comply with new rules written since the plan became law.
Despite the postponement, President Barack Obama’s health care law remains intact with the requirement that individuals get insurance and the subsidies be available to help them pay for it.