SPIDERCAM caused a stir when it was in the Premier League a couple of seasons ago, and now it returns!
And the birds-eye view technology is back on Amazon Prime’s coverage of Premier League football this week.
Spidercam featured in the 2017/18 Premier League seasonCredit: AP:Associated Press
What is Spidercam and how does it work?
Spidercam uses a state-of-the-art camera suspended from four wires – one in each corner of the ground – to follow the action.
It can pan 360 degrees while keeping level and also has a zoom function and image stabilisers.
It never drops below 10metres and will be lifted to the height of the stadium for goal kicks or when the keeper has the ball in his hands.
An operator controls the camera pitchside to provide birds-eye footage of the action.
The camera speeds over the action as is able to provide 360-degree viewsCredit: Alamy
It is apparently especially useful for pundits doing tactical analysis at half-time and full-time.
Which football events have used Spidercam in the past?
Spidercam made its World Cup debut in South Africa and was again included at Brazil 2014.
Fifa first allowed its use in Asian qualifiers for Russia 2018 but the Premier League was the first domestic competition to call upon the technology.
Do any other sports use Spidercam?
Cricket players are familiar with the camera equipment with Steve Smith blaming it for shelling a catchCredit: Getty Images
The system has regularly been used in cricket which has flagged up some unusual issues.
Australia skipper Steve Smith blamed a missed catch on a supporting wire being in his sight.
And if a ball strikes the camera it must be called dead which led to the reversal of a catch after the batsman noted his shot deflected off Spidercam.
The cameras have been used in rugby union, tennis, NFL, swimming and Olympic volleyball as well as non-sporting events such as the Eurovision Song Contest.
What are the Amazon Prime games this week?
The streaming giants will show all of the early midweek games this week and all Boxing Day matches for the first time ever in the UK as part of a new 20-game. three-year deal.
December 3
- Crystal Palace vs Bournemouth
- Burnley vs Manchester City
December 4
- Chelsea vs Aston Villa
- Leicester vs Watford
- Manchester United vs Tottenham
- Southampton vs Norwich
- Wolves vs West Ham
- Liverpool vs Everton
December 5
- Sheffield United vs Newcastle
- Arsenal vs Brighton
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
