La Liga’s sensor-equipped ball helps rule out late Real Madrid goal

Real Madrid had a late equaliser ruled out after La Liga’s new sensor-equipped ball identified an offside in the build-up during their 1-0 defeat by Real Betis at La Cartuja.

The decision brought an end to a controversial conclusion, with two incidents in the closing stages prompting debate. The first involved a spectacular overhead kick by Carlos Espi, who had come on in the 87th minute.

The goal initially appeared to level the match at 1-1. However, referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez stopped play before the restart, despite the ball being in the centre circle, after receiving an alert from the VAR room.

The video review, led by Javier Iglesias Villanueva, found that an offside offence had occurred at the beginning of the move involving the Real Madrid forward. The goal was therefore disallowed and Real Betis retained their 1-0 lead.

The decision was based on one of the most significant technological developments introduced in Spain’s top flight this season: a chip inside the match ball, known as the “connected ball”.

The system is linked to the VAR room and can establish the precise moment of a possible offside by identifying the exact point at which the ball was touched before the infringement. It is designed to provide a much more accurate assessment than the semi-automated offside technology previously used.

In this case, the sensor helped officials determine when the ball was played during the attack that led to Espi’s effort. That information supported the VAR intervention and the eventual cancellation of Real Madrid’s equaliser.

The technology had also played a role earlier in the match, during the final moments of the first half.

Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez initially awarded Real Betis a corner after believing their goalkeeper had prevented a shot from Huijsen from reaching the goal. Images, combined with the information supplied by the ball’s sensor, showed that the effort had struck the crossbar instead.

The decision was subsequently changed to a goal-kick for Real Betis.

The sensor is able to confirm instantly whether contact with the ball has occurred. That detail can assist officials in reviewing both offside situations and disputed incidents involving the ball’s path.

The two late decisions made the final stages of the match particularly eventful, despite Real Betis ultimately holding on for a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid at La Cartuja.

The use of the technology underlines the growing role of ball-tracking data in refereeing decisions in La Liga. In the match, it directly influenced both the removal of Real Madrid’s apparent equaliser and the correction of the first-half corner decision.