More than ever, sport finds itself gripped by the fangs of the technological revolution. In football, VAR now dictates its law and makes the field referee a puppet of technology. In tennis, the final hours of the line judges are already scheduled. From 2025, tournaments will be equipped with an automated system which will decide, in real time, whether a ball is good or not. And so on, in most disciplines. Tomorrow the very concept of the human referee could disappear with growing robotization and the use of artificial intelligence. It is up to everyone to assess, with their soul and conscience, whether or not this development contributes to greater sporting fairness.
It is, in any case, amusing to note that it was in sumo competitions – an ancestral Japanese discipline – that video refereeing made its debut. In 1969, a fight sparked numerous controversies and the use of televised slow motion confirmed an error of judgment. From the next tournament, video assistance was used. This did not prevent the survival on the doyos of the gyojis, these referees adorned with a prestigious ceremonial uniform. It is not certain, in the age of drones, hawk eyes and latest generation cameras, that the cult of tradition is sufficient to safeguard the presence of the refereeing body in other countries and other sports!
