image: This screenshot of the software shows a serious foul play situation. view more
Credit: Marta Fernández Ruiz
This release is available in Spanish.
The objective of this research is to develop multimedia training resources based on the use of 2D and 3D animation, as well as the interactive possibilities offered by these new technologies. This project from the UC3M Television-Film research group in: memoria, representación e industria (memory, representation and industry) (TECMERIN) is within the framework of a plan of the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) for referee improvement and professionalization.
The resources developed by these researchers have been used by the FIFA World Cup 2010 referees in South Africa. As the officials are from different countries, one of the problems that exists is that "despite there being only one regulation regarding the rules of the game, that same regulation is sometimes interpreted in different ways, resulting in a different call for the same infraction", the project's head researcher, Professor Manuel Armenteros Gallardo, from the UC3M Journalism and Audiovisual Communication Department pointed out. For that reason, they are attempting to work on teaching tools and materials which are very didactic and visual, so that they are clearly understood and different possible interpretations are avoided.
These researchers have been working on developing a wide range of professional training resources since 2005, when they began collaboration with the FIFA department of football referees with their Guía Interactiva del Fuera de Juego, (Interactive Guide to Offside) followed by the Guía Interactiva de las Pruebas Físicas de Árbitros y Árbitros Asistentes, (Interactive Guide for Physical Tests for Football Referees and Assistant Referees) followed by the interactive multimedia model of Las Reglas de Juego (The Rules of the Game). These guides incorporate videos, animation, games, music, and talks, aimed at elite international referees as well as instructors in charge of training the members of the corresponding confederations. The researchers have also designed an Interactive Trivia game for learning while playing, with a total of 1,500 questions on the 17 rules of the game. In addition, they recently created an interactive video test, an application which combines the learning potential of a video with the self-evaluation advantages of a computer. All of these resources are available in several languages (English, French, German, and Spanish) and are currently being translated into Russian, Arabic, Chinese and Portuguese.
The international referees periodically receive training courses within the framework of the program FUTURO III and the RAP (Referees Assistance Program). For the FIFA World Cup, the selected members will be brought together several days prior to the games in order to engage in intense practice in the areas dealt with in the course during the past year, when they attended classes in theory that employed the resources developed by these researchers principally based on the use of the video and 2D and 3D infographic techniques. "We employ a similar aesthetics to that used in video games, increasing the referee's immersion in the learning process", Professor Armenteros explained. "The computer" he continued, "allows us to simulate difficult situations occurring on the field, and now we will have to see if the referee response to the laboratory situations is relevant for decisions that referees make on the actual playing field", he concluded.
The referees testing these resources have been able to assess their didactic potential. The last user experience carried out with referees from 10 different countries gave a general score of 4.48 out of 5 to the resources. In addition, their creators point out that the resources have been very positively received in the different FIFA federations (CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, UEFA, AFC, CSF and CAF), which have decided to participate in the adaption project of the learning resources and to extend them to other sports such as Indoor football or Beach football.