35% of Fans Frustrated by Tech Calls in Sports

A survey of 2,000 adults who enjoy watching live sports revealed that 35% are frustrated when crucial decisions hinge on technology .

Moreover, 52% feel it interrupts the game's rhythm excessively, and 42% have experienced a delay in celebrating goals and points because of technological interventions. Additionally, 31% think video reviews dampen the excitement of live matches.

The study, conducted by Lottoland's Sportsbook , follows an incident at Wimbledon where officials had to apologise to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Sonay Kartal due to a fault with the new electronic line-calling system.

Kartal hit a ball past the baseline which the system failed to detect, later found to be because it had been switched off in that area of the court.

Tennis is not alone in experiencing glitches with video assistance; the Premier League has also seen its fair share of errors.

In a notable match in 2023, Liverpool's Luis Diaz was incorrectly ruled offside before scoring, as VAR officials and the on-pitch referee miscommunicated the 'check complete' signal.

A spokesperson for Lottoland Sportsbook commented: "Video replays are really a love or hate thing in sports, it seems."

They added: "The main aim of the tech is to come to quick and accurate decisions, but it seems lots of people don't trust it. We've seen it can even cost people their game, as demonstrated at Wimbledon last week."

The study also revealed that six out of 10 supporters think video review technology needs enhancement, while a tenth are of the opinion that it should be axed from all live sports.

Moreover, 68% don't believe tennis competitions, such as Wimbledon, make the most effective use of video technology, with football receiving similar sentiments from 60% of fans. A notable 12% feel that it's damaging the heritage of tennis, as per the OnePoll figures.

Additional gripes from spectators include inconsistent application (37%) and an excessive dependence on tech rather than umpire discretion (29%).

A spokesperson for Lottoland's Sportsbook commented: "There is certainly a culture when it comes to Wimbledon and other tennis tournaments and the line judges seem embedded in that, so it is a bit of a shame they have been replaced with technology, especially when it isn't quite going to plan.

"Technology is continuing to develop and it does seem like there is some way to go when it comes to electric line calling."