Spanish professional football is undergoing a major technological upgrade. Starting this season, LaLiga EA SPORTS is introducing connected ball technology across all matches in its top division, becoming the first national European league to do so league-wide. The project is a joint initiative between the league, sports manufacturer Puma, tracking specialist KINEXON, and the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA). The goal is to assist refereeing decisions with higher precision while creating new data streams for broadcasting and tactical match analysis.
The technical core is situated directly inside the official Puma match balls. A miniaturized radiofrequency sensor developed by KINEXON continuously transmits real-time positional and contact data. These signals are picked up by a network of approximately twelve antennas installed across each top-flight stadium. This setup ensures seamless, low-latency tracking of the ball throughout every minute of play.
The incoming sensor data feeds directly into existing officiating workflows, including the Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) setup. By tracking impacts and movements at microsecond precision, match officials can pinpoint the exact moment of ball contact. This drastically reduces ambiguity in contentious offside calls and handball reviews.
Beyond officiating, the tracking hardware powers a new digital intelligence layer dubbed xBALL. This is LaLiga's new official AI and data platform designed to process high-frequency metrics for live broadcast graphics and club analytics. Viewers and performance staff gain access to immediate calculations of shot speeds, ball trajectories, and passing patterns directly within the feed.
This league-wide deployment sets a precedent for the integration of physical sensor tracking in European club competitions. While comparable systems have previously appeared in isolated tournament formats, deploying them across an entire 380-game domestic season transitions sensor-based AI tracking firmly into standard operating practice.