Ref cams

[dasNdanger]

Is this a new thing, and is it just in Super Rugby, or elsewhere, too? It seems pretty cool, but there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason on when it's used in the broadcast. Thoughts on it? And where, exactly, is the camera?


das

 

[ratsapprentice]

I like it, it'll take a season or so before the directors figure out how to use it correctly.
At the moment there are a few people trying it out.

From what I can make out BT sport (who will be covering the Aviva Prem next season) are interested, they have stated that they think they can improve the quality of rugby coverage in the UK.
And then there is this...
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>An amazing vantage point for viewers of this Reds v Waratahs rugby match courtesy of a <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23refcam">#refcam</a> <a href="http://t.co/nIKcpHkyCO" ***le="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiXzm_RfB10">youtube.com/watch?v=WiXzm_…</a> Via @<a href="https://twitter.com/nickhartwell1">nickhartwell1</a></p>&mdash; BT Sport (@BTSport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BTSport/status/309663875098353664">March 7, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


Can't see them posting that unless they were interested in doing it themselves...
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script><iframe style="display: none;" allowtransparency="true" id="rufous-sandbox" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>

 

[dasNdanger]

Wow, thanks for that. That bit of footage makes me wish the entire game was like that! It's good to see things from that vantage point. Sometimes, however, it seems to me that the cam isn't pointed the right direction, and all I see are butts.

I think this could be excellent for the sport because rugby is one of the few sports out there where the ref is almost like the 31st player on the pitch. He's always right there with the action, eyes on the ball. It will be a great tool for analyzing the game (esp. scrums), but I think it will also be a great tool for teaching us dumb Ameri...erm...people who are still relatively new to the game some of the finer aspects of the sport, especially the dynamics between the players and the ref.



das