Smart balls devised by Nasa scientist set to revolutionise rugby and football

Imagine being able to work out the ‘true’ value of a footballer with accurate scientific data analysis of their ability and how they would fit into a team.

Or being able to understand the player’s big-match temperament and how they deliver under pressure.

Even better — imagine a version of VAR that is faster and less controversial.

Well, that day could be drawing near with the advent of groundbreaking technology that can be placed inside a ball, capable of providing a gold mine of information for clubs to help guide them in the transfer market and beyond.

The so-called smart ball has been in development for six years and is ready to be launched in rugby at this year’s Six Nations Championship, which starts on Saturday.

The technology will provide statistics on kicks and passes that can be relayed in real-time to teams and fans watching on TV.

Pioneered by English sports data company Sportable and developed alongside rugby ball manufacturer Gilbert, the sophisticated technology has myriad applications in virtually any ball sport.

It is expected to be, quite literally, a game-changer.

“Our mission statement is to revolutionise how we view, understand and interact with live sport,” said Peter Husemeyer, a former Nasa scientist with a doctorate in nuclear engineering.

“There is not a sport that is off limits.

"Traditionally, a lot of kicking coaching in rugby has relied on stopwatches to measure hang-time and cones for training for box-kicking accuracy. There was no accurate, repeatable way to scientifically measure kicking performance. This is where we come in.”

Sportable co-founders Pete Husemeyer and Dugald Macdonald had their 'eureka moment' after watching a game of ice hockey. Photo: Sportable

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