Here's a low-down on tech support in sport

FootballThe VAR system introduced at a World Cup for the first time in this edition is a twoway communication system between the onfield referee and a team of officials at the backend monitoring the ground action on their computer screens through a series of camerasVAR only intervenes if the referee has made an error in the following areas goals mdash to view offsides and shirtpulling episodes inside the dee penalty kicks mdash to award or revoke a spot kick red cards mdash to view dangerous tackles and bad conduct mistaken identity mdash to help to identify the correct player in the case of fouls or awarding a card The VAR can be brought into effect in two ways mdash the referee can seek a VAR review on an onfield incident by making a rectangle sign andor the VAR can inform the referee if any infringement is spotted on cameraSome crucial VAR calls at this World CupJune 16 France vs AustraliaVAR was used for the first time here when it alerted the referee to a possible penalty for Francersquos Antoine Griezmann being fouled by Joshua Risdon The referee agreedJune 22 Brazil vs Costa RicaBrazil striker Neymarrsquos theatrics have not impressed the audience and VAR alike Against Costa Rica he tried to earn a penalty with a dubious dive but VAR caught his bluffJune 25 Iran vs PortugalPortugal skipper Cristiano Ronaldo elbowed Iranrsquos Morteza Pouraliganji behind the refereersquos back A VAR intervention saw the referee flash a yellow card to RonaldoVerdict The biggest problem with the VAR is its lack of connect with the spectators who are left frustrated and even abusing when they feel an incident has gone unnoticed or has been ignored Besides players should also have a say in obtaining a VAR review like in hockey if they feel something has gone wrong Putting up details of a VARchecked incident on the giant instadia screen can eliminate doubts and build spectator faith in the new systemTennis amp BadmintonThe HawkEye system in tennis and badminton is used by players to review calls made by line judges The technology uses a number of highspeed cameras set up around the court which builds a 3D image to track whether a ballshuttle has landed in or out It boasts of an accuracy of up to one millimetre Besides HawkEye also helps to provide instant replays to chair umpires in tennis who would like to review foot faults In tennis a player is allowed three incorrect challenges per set and gets an extra one in case of a tiebreaker In badminton a player can make up to two wrong calls per game which means a maximum of six wrong calls per matchVerdict Big servers sending the ball at 120 MPH in tennis and top smashes in badminton crossing 150 MPH itrsquos tough for the naked eye to judge closeline calls so HawkEye is a hit In badminton additional shuttle drift may lead to inaccuracies though2007The year HawkEye was introduced at Grand SlamsHockeyThe video referral system was introduced by the International Hockey Federation FIH at the 2009 Champions Trophy in Australia and despite some initial criticism it is now widely accepted by both players and fans alike The video referral can be used in two ways players can ask the onfield umpires to refer decisions inside the 23metre area relating to penalty corners penalty strokes or other infringements the onfield umpires can seek a video referral of an incident that they may have missed or are unsure about The video umpire then views the incident on his screen and conveys the outcome to the referee Each team gets only one video referralVerdict The primary reason why the video referral system has clicked is because of its transparency The conversation between the onfield umpire and the video umpire is played out on the TV screen as is the final decision by the video umpire2010The World Cup where video referral system was introducedCricketCricketrsquos version of the VAR is the Decision Review System DRS A team can seek a review by the DRS by asking the onfield umpire to refer his decision to the third umpire who uses three electronic applications mdash Snickometer Hotspot HawkEye mdash to determine whether or not a player is out The Snickometer uses highly sensitive microphones to detect even the slightest edge off a bat Hotspot uses infrared heatsensing cameras to determine exactly where the ball has struck a batsman mdash on the bat or pad or gloves etc HawkEye uses virtual balltracking technology to predict the trajectory of a ball after it has struck a batsmanrsquos pads and determine whether or not it would have gone on to hit the stumps A team can make no more than two unsuccessful DRS reviews per innings in a Test and only one in an ODI or T20IVerdict The DRS has had its fair share of criticism with the BCCI being one of its harshest critics as it felt that the system is not 100 accurate Accuracy of the balltracking system and HawkEye particularly when the ball is moving laterally due to spin or swing has been criticised while some suggest that its cost which is approximated 50000 per match is a deterrent too However all parties are now on board with the ICC and the system continues to be in use with more success than failure2009The year DRS was officially used by the ICC in a TestCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates