An official in any sport has a lot on their plate during the course of a game. Whether it’s making the right calls, maintaining composure, or managing the action from start to finish, the demands are high. In a 90-minute soccer game, a referee is faced with multiple challenging decisions. One thing they do not want to worry about is keeping track of time.
Well fret no more officials, Swiss watchmaker, TAG Heuer is teaming up with Premier League referees this upcoming season to bring its Connected watch to the pitch.
The TAG Heuer Connected timepiece will be worn during soccer matches by officials operating using a new app which will cover the natural rhythm of a full match. The app has been designed to mesh perfectly with both 45-minute halves, stoppage times, a 15-minute halftime rest as well as extra time. The app gestures also make sure that a referee does not accidentally stop the time.
The smartwatch plans on making timekeeping a breeze, allowing officials to keep all their focus on the match. According to Jean-Claude Biver, TAG Heuer’s chief executive, “This is a real tool that referees can and will actually use during games. It takes advantage of the Connected watch’s sophisticated technology, which we developed at TAG Heuer with our partners Intel and Google. Because every detail of the referee app has been thought through with Premier League referees, I have no doubt that this will be a useful tool,” said Biver. “TAG Heuer is extremely proud to be working with the Premier League and its officials and to provide referees with Connected watches, which combine the best of Swiss watchmaking with the best of Silicon Valley.”
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Since the beginning of the season, Premier League officials have been getting acquainted with their new wrist buddies during the pre-season and warm-up games. They will have to do so if they expect to meet the high demands that a first-rate league expects.
“Refereeing a Premier League game has never been more demanding than it is now, with every refereeing decision heavily scrutinised,” said Mike Riley, former Premier League referee and General Manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited. “The introduction of the TAG Heuer Connected and the TAG Heuer referee app makes the job that much simpler. Knowing they have an accurate, reliable, high-functioning device on their wrist to keep track of game time will give referees extra confidence and leave them to focus on the running of the match.”
Do not worry, TAG Heuer did not forget about its general consumers. The company is planning on releasing a downloadable Premier League watch dial to their smartwatches for the everyday user as well. The app will provide fans with up-to-date news, plays and scores from their favorite teams across the Premier League.
TAG has also extended its connected smartwatch via a partnership with the German football league, Bundesliga. This is the first partner outside of TAG Heuer’s ambassadors to work with the company on an exclusive for the TAG Heuer Connected watch.
TAG Heuer’s smartwatch will look to make a referee’s job just a fraction of a second easier, and bring your favorite teams just a discrete push of a screen from your beading eyes.