Integrating Artificial Intelligence Into Football Refereeing : Insights From German Bundesliga Referees

Title data

Protschky, Dominik ; Feulner, Daniel ; Guggenberger, Tobias:
Integrating Artificial Intelligence Into Football Refereeing : Insights From German Bundesliga Referees.
In: Proceedings of the 33rd European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS). - Amman, Jordanien , 2025

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Abstract in another language

This paper investigates the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in football refereeing, examining how AI can support decision-making for referees and improve decision accuracy and fairness. While these systems offer benefits in consistency and transparency, their integration also poses challenges, particularly in balancing AI’s role with human judgment and preserving game flow. To address the limited research on AI-supported refereeing, this study conducts in-depth interviews with sixteen referees and officials from the highest German football league and the highest European football association, gathering insights on AI’s role in decision support. The findings highlight critical factors for successful AI decision-support, including trust in technology, compatibility with refereeing protocols, and respect for referee autonomy. This study offers actionable insights for sports organizations and technology developers, presenting a framework for integrating AI that respects both the technological potential and the human essence of football refereeing.

Further data

Item Type:	Article in a book
Refereed:	Yes
Keywords:	AI in sports; Football refereeing; Decisions support systems (DSS); Human-AI collaboration
Institutions of the University:	Faculties > Faculty of Law, Business and Economics > Department of Business Administration Research Institutions Research Institutions > Affiliated Institutes Research Institutions > Affiliated Institutes > Branch Business and Information Systems Engineering of Fraunhofer FIT Research Institutions > Affiliated Institutes > FIM Research Center for Information Management
Result of work at the UBT:	Yes
DDC Subjects:	000 Computer Science, information, general works > 004 Computer science 300 Social sciences > 330 Economics
Date Deposited:	28 Jul 2025 08:19
Last Modified:	28 Jul 2025 08:19
URI:	https://eref.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/94349