During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, FIFA clarified that Croatia’s stoppage-time equaliser against Portugal in the Round of 32 was disallowed after Connected Ball Technology detected a decisive touch by Igor Matanović, resulting in an offside offence.
The touch was detected by the IMU sensor embedded inside the official Adidas Trionda Match Ball.
About Connected Ball Technology (CBT)
According to FIFA, Connected Ball Technology (CBT) is an advanced system developed by FIFA in collaboration with Adidas to improve the accuracy of refereeing decisions.
It uses an Inertial Measurement Unit> (IMU) sensor embedded inside the official match ball to capture its movement and detect even the slightest touch.
The sensor transmits data 500 times per second, enabling precise tracking of the ball’s acceleration, position, and trajectory in three dimensions.
The technology assists the Video Assistant Referee by identifying the exact moment of ball contact, making offside and other match decisions faster and more accurate.
The official Adidas Trionda Match Ball contains the embedded IMU sensor, and the data is displayed during broadcasts through a “heartbeat” graphic to improve transparency.
An IMU is an electronic device that measures acceleration, rotation, and orientation using accelerometers and gyroscopes, enabling precise motion tracking.
Connected Ball Technology enhances the speed, accuracy, and fairness of football officiating by complementing VAR with real-time sensor data.
Source: FIFA
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