FIFA Adopts Cricket's Snickometer for 2026 World Cup
The technology, used to detect ball contact, was first employed in a match between Sweden and Tunisia.
FIFA has introduced the Snickometer, a technology borrowed from cricket, for the 2026 World Cup. The system was used for the first time during the Sweden vs. Tunisia match to verify a goal. Sweden's Alexander Isak was initially flagged offside, but the Snickometer showed no touch on the ball, confirming the goal.
The Snickometer generates a waveform graph to detect the exact moment a ball is touched. It relies on a motion-sensing microchip inside the match ball that tracks impacts 500 times per second. A spike on the graph indicates contact, while a flat line means no touch.
This innovation marks FIFA's latest effort to enhance decision-making with technology, following the lead of cricket's successful use of Snicko for similar purposes.