The Euroleague is entering a new era in referee appointments, as it has introduced an automated system that utilizes artificial intelligence technology to form refereeing trios for every game in the EuroLeague and the BKT EuroCup.
The new system, developed by the league’s Refereeing Department, processes a large volume of data and takes into account 14 different rules, which are divided into three main categories: competition criteria, schedule and workload management, and integrity issues.
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Among other things, it considers the hierarchy of referees, the frequency of assignments, workload, the composition of each refereeing trio, the nationality of the referees, and the possibility of repeated assignments to matches involving specific teams. By analyzing all available data, the system determines the referee assignments for each match of the current matchday.
“Technology enables us to improve the referee assignment process, allowing us to analyze a very large volume of information and apply a consistent set of criteria to every game,”said Daniel Ierethuelo, director of officiating for Euroleague Basketball.
As he emphasized, the goal is to leverage innovation to support referees, to better distribute assignments and workload throughout the season, and to take every relevant factor into account when forming officiating trios.
The new system was implemented for the first time in the EuroLeague’s opening round, and starting next week it will also be used in the EuroCup, beginning with the tournament’s opening round.
*photo source: euroleaguebasketball.net
