Metrology Corner
The Role of Metrology in the Olympics
Here are some examples of metrology implication in two of the most attended Olympic events: soccer and swimming.
Image Source: Dmytro Aksonov / E+ / Getty Images
The Paris 2024 Olympics symbolized unity, progress, and global collaboration through sports. They brought together the world’s top athletes in a celebration of human achievement and fostered connections between nations. The role of metrology in ensuring the accuracy and fairness of results demonstrates the vital relationship between measurement science and competitive excellence at the Olympic Games.
Metrology plays a critical role in the Olympics through:
- Precise Timing: Events like track and swimming rely on highly accurate timing systems, often down to fractions of a second, to determine winners. Electronic timing and photo-finish technology ensure that results are accurate, fair, and transparent.
- Distance and Equipment Measurement: In sports like javelin, long jump, and cycling, laser-based measuring systems are used to ensure consistency and precision when determining distances and performances.
- Environmental Factors: Metrology also ensures that variables such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed (especially important in track and field) are precisely measured and monitored, so athletes compete under fair conditions.
- Weight Categories: In sports like weightlifting and wrestling, metrology ensures accurate weight classification through precise calibration of scales, ensuring fairness in competition.
- Doping Control: Accurate measurement techniques are crucial in drug testing to ensure athletes adhere to anti-doping regulations, maintaining the integrity of the Games.
Here are some examples of metrology implication in two of the most attended Olympic events: soccer and swimming.
Soccer (football) Metrology
A soccer game is much more than just a match between two teams—it’s a vibrant experience that brings together players, spectators, and the surrounding atmosphere in a dynamic and emotional event.
For metrologists soccer implies also measurements, which qualifies all factors to provide the necessary infrastructure for the game.
Here are the measurement requirements for the playing field and the ball.
Playing field orientation is north-south to equally expose the teams to the sun. The TV camera position should be in the main stand. A deviation of maximum 150 from north-south direction is allowed. Standard field dimensions (Pitch): 105m x 68m.
Soccer field should have a minimum of 1.5% slope for drain. Slope is measured from center to side.
Sightline quality: the C-value.
The C-value is a variable that defines the spectator’s line of vision over the head of the person in front. The higher the C-value, the better the view of the pitch.
The standard formula for calculating the sightline is as follows:
C = D(N + R) / (D + T) - R
Where:
C = the C-value
D = the horizontal distance from each individual position to the point of focus (the edge of the pitch)
N = the riser height of each individual row of seats
R = the vertical height between the persons eye level and the point of focus (pitch level)
T = the depth of each individual row of seats
The Ball
According to the International Football Association Board (IFAB), a FIFA football ball must meet the following measuring requirements:
- Size: The ball must be a size 5, which means it has a circumference of 68–70 centimeters (27–28 inches).
- Weight: The ball must weigh 410–450 grams (14–16 ounces) at the start of a match.
- Pressure: The ball must be inflated to a pressure of 0.6–1.1 bars (8.7–16.0 pounds per square inch) at sea level.
- Shape: The ball must be spherical.
- Material: The ball must be made from a suitable material.
Balls are subject to a series of tests such as the ball’s weight, circumference, roundness, bounce, water absorption, loss of pressure, and shape and size retention.
Tests requirements:
- Drop height: The ball is dropped onto a steel plate from a height of 2 meters
- Bounce height: The ball must bounce between 135 and 155 centimeters
- Bounce consistency: The ball must bounce consistently, with a maximum difference of 10 centimeters between its highest and lowest bounce
- Temperature: The ball must be tested in both heated and below freezing conditions
Swimming Metrology
ORTHOGONALITY OF THE POOL
The sides of the pool shall be orthogonal and form 90 degrees right angles. The tolerance of the angle is ±0.05º. The 2 diagonals shall be the same length. The tolerance of the diagonal is 10mm.
LENGTH AND DIMENSIONAL TOLERANCES - 50M POOL.
- Length: 50.000m between the Automatic Officiating Equipment touch panels at the starting end and the wall at the turning end. The admissible tolerance in 50.000m swimming pools will be +0.010, - 0.000m.
Tolerances will be measured as follows:
Wall to Wall without touch panels: Minimum 50.020m - Maximum 50.030m. Tolerances have to be consistent 0.300m above to 0.800m below the water surface. These measurements should be certified by a surveyor or other qualified official, appointed or approved by the Member in the country in which the pool is located. Distances between walls - Length shall be measured in the center of the lane.
Here is an interesting discussion about difference between two records.
An estimation of two swimming records difference of 0.01 sec., results in a space difference of 0.2mm. This leads to the question, if the touching panels mounting could be accurate within 0.2mm space, or if a non-flatness larger than 0.2mm can occur.
WATER DEPTH - Olympic Games and World Aquatics Championships 50m pool: A minimum of 2.5m.
WALLS - End walls shall be vertical, parallel and form 90-degree right angles to the swimming course and to the surface of the water. They shall be constructed of solid material, with a non-slip surface extending 0.8m below the water surface. The admissible tolerance in walls verticality will be β = ±0.3 degrees.
LIGHT INTENSITY - The light intensity over the whole pool shall not be less than 1500 lux.
There are also dimensions related to lanes ropes, bottom of pool markings, etc.
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