QF graduate combines passion for sports and technology to help football

Professional footballer Mohamed al-Qassabi is a member of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar’s ( CMU-Q) Class of 2022, which graduated Tuesday at the QF Convocation 2022. During his time at Qatar Foundation ( QF), he was able to combine his passion for sport and technology to take part in the 13th season of Stars of Science, where he was placed third for his “Offside Detection System” innovation. Al-Qassabi, who majored in Information Systems at CMU-Q – a QF partner, says: “I am a professional football player, I used to play for Al-Arabi SC and I was on the CMU-Q team. “During my sporting career, I faced several challenges – especially in terms of how referees detect when a player is offside – so I decided to combine my expertise in Information Systems and my passion for football to come up with a solution.” His “Offside Detection System” is designed to help referees detect offside players in football matches. The system requires the installation of a chip in the football and in the players’ kit to track their movements, sending a direct alert to the referee’s wristwatch when someone is offside.“It is the first system of its kind that enables the referee to take the appropriate decision in fractions of a second and with accuracy,” al-Qassabi explains. Following the conclusion of Stars of Science competition in 2021, al-Qassabi went on to participate in the Challenge and Innovation Forum Qatar 2021, which featured inventors from all over the world, and placed fifth for his “Offside Detection System”.Al-Qassabi hopes his innovation will be utilised in upcoming football competitions hosted by Qatar. “We are currently working on implementing this system in local amateur tournaments, and I look forward to it eventually being approved for use in official competitions. My post-graduation plans include launching my startup and developing a prototype of my innovation to become part of World Cup competitions.”Al-Qassabi, believes that the unique ecosystem at Education City provides students with the opportunity to explore their talents and realise their full potential. And unlike students who are excited to graduate and embark on the next stage in their life, he believes that he will miss Education City.“We have everything we need here as students. Educational resources are available at Qatar National Library, and there are multiple recreational facilities, such as those at Multaqa. There are countless opportunities that allow us to follow our passions and pursue our interests,” he added.