If a modern sports fan at the Super Bowl happened to miss the winning touchdown of the game, he or she would only have to wait a couple of seconds for the instant replay. But any time before 1985, this fan would have missed the pivotal moment in the biggest football game of the year.

According to Top End Sports, modern technology is revolutionizing the sports world, especially with its benefits for referees. With the luxury of instant replay, referees can now review a play repeatedly to double-check their calls. Football fields have included video-replay technology since 1986, according to Bleacher Report. Although this technology has not been implemented in any high schools in New Jersey, Alabama high schools are experimenting with video replay.

Another advancement in sports technology is the Hawk-Eye system, the computer and camera system that follows a ball’s path, according to Top End Sports. The Hawk-Eye system is most frequently used in tennis and cricket, but soccer is introducing the Hawk-Eye system too. The Premier League of Football hoped to improve decision-making accuracy and speed with  goal line sensors.

Another use of technology that relates more to sports fans is digital media and streaming, according to sporttechie.com. Applications for cellular devices, such as NFL Mobile and Twitter, keep fans up to date with live streaming and live-tweeting. In this age of social media, sporting events are broadcasted all over these platforms to provide fans access through different media. It makes following a team far away from your location that much easier, according to Sport Techie.

As an avid Boston Red Sox fan, sophomore Rebecca Rippon of Ocean Township said Twitter is the main platform that she uses most to stay updated on scores and stats. Rippon said  that prior to following the team on Twitter, she could never keep up because she was too busy to watch the games.

“Now I just have my Twitter notifications on for their account and keep up from there. It’s definitely helped me be a way more involved fan,” Rippon said.

Recent technological advances are affecting and revolutionizing the sports world in more ways than one. Creative Commons