FIBA accelerates the introduction of player tracking technology ahead of the World Cup in Berlin
FIBA has completed the second test event as part of the approval process for solutions that track the movement of female players, thereby taking a new step toward the broader introduction of such technology in international basketball. According to the announcement by the world basketball organization, the testing was carried out to expand the range of systems that can be available to national teams at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 in Berlin. This is an important change because, according to FIBA, the tournament in the German metropolis will be the first major competition of that organization at which approved tracking technology will be used. In practice, this means that coaching staffs could obtain more precise data on the movement, intensity and workload of players during games and training sessions. For FIBA, this is both a technological and regulatory step forward, because new solutions are introduced only after an assessment of accuracy, safety and operational reliability.
What FIBA tested and why it matters
According to FIBA's announcement, the second test event was held from 3 to 5 June 2026 at the Maverik Center in Salt Lake City, the arena where the Salt Lake City Stars play, the Utah Jazz development team in the NBA G League. FIBA states that the location was chosen because it offered a high-quality testing environment and practical links with stakeholders from the field of basketball technology. During the three-day testing, five systems from four companies were assessed, and the supervision, according to FIBA, was carried out by the Institute for Sports Tech Standards. The assessment was based on comparing the data delivered by the tested systems with reference values collected during basketball movements and game simulations. This did not test only technical functionality, but also the ability of the systems to produce data in real basketball conditions that are reliable enough for competitive use.
FIBA describes tracking systems as technologies that record data on the movement of male and female players during games and training sessions. This group includes wearable devices that athletes wear on their bodies, as well as optical solutions with cameras placed around the court. According to FIBA, such systems can provide information on positioning, speed, movement intensity, jumps and overall physical workload. These are data that are increasingly used in elite sport, especially for workload management, performance analysis, prevention of overload and better understanding of the rhythm of play. In women's basketball, where the global level of competition is rising rapidly, standardized and comparable data may have particular value for national teams with different resources.
From experimental equipment to a regulatorily accepted tool
The key difference compared with earlier periods is that FIBA is not introducing technology only as an additional analytical tool, but is linking it to a formal approval process. According to FIBA, the change was made possible by a recent update of internal regulations, which state that approved wearable tracking solutions may be used in FIBA competitions if they are worn safely and in the prescribed location. This opens the way for the official use of technology, but on the condition that the systems meet the prescribed standards. Such an approach is important because national-team competitions cannot rely only on commercial claims made by manufacturers or experiences from individual leagues. In an environment in which national teams from different continents meet, the technology must be verifiable, comparable and safe for female athletes.
The FIBA Equipment & Venue Centre manages the approval process and, according to the organization's announcements, gives technology companies a clear path to prove that their solutions meet basketball requirements. For national federations and national teams, this should reduce uncertainty when choosing equipment, because approved systems undergo an independent assessment of accuracy and, in the case of wearable devices, safety for players. FIBA launched the approval program for tracking solutions back in 2025, and the first testing was held in Leiria, Portugal. At that time, according to FIBA, experts from Victoria University used a motion capture system, while inertial measurement solutions, local positioning systems and optical technologies were tested. The protocols included basketball movements, accelerations, decelerations, jumps and a workload index, showing that the procedure was designed as a sport-specific assessment rather than a generic technical check.
Berlin as the first major stage for the new phase
The FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 will be held from 4 to 13 September 2026 in Berlin, according to the competition's official data. The tournament will bring together 16 national teams, and FIBA states in the competition system that 36 games will be played over 10 days. The national teams are divided into four groups of four teams. The group winners advance directly to the quarter-finals, while the second- and third-placed national teams play an additional elimination round to enter the top eight. After that come the quarter-finals, semi-finals, the third-place game and the final, all in a single-elimination game format.
According to FIBA's official qualification overview, Germany qualified for the tournament as host, while Australia, Belgium, Nigeria and the United States qualified as winners of continental competitions in 2025. China, Czechia, Mali, France, Korea, Spain, Italy, Puerto Rico, Hungary, Japan and Turkey also secured places through qualifying tournaments. The groups published on the official competition website show that Group A consists of Japan, Spain, Germany and Mali; Group B of Hungary, Korea, Nigeria and France; Group C of Belgium, Australia, Puerto Rico and Turkey; and Group D of the United States, Czechia, Italy and China. Such a tournament field gives FIBA a broad testing framework because the technology will be used in an environment with different styles of play, different physical team profiles and major competitive pressure.
Data that can change the work of coaching staffs
The most direct benefit from tracking systems should go to coaching staffs, strength and conditioning coaches, analysts and medical teams. Data on speed, accelerations, the intensity of changes of direction and jumping activity can help assess the actual physical workload during a game, rather than relying only on minutes played or subjective impressions. In national-team basketball, this is particularly important because teams often have short preparation periods, a dense schedule and limited time to adapt players who come from different clubs and leagues. If the systems operate reliably, coaches could gain more precise insight into when a player enters a zone of increased workload, how intensively she reacts on defense or how quickly she recovers between demanding stretches of play. Such data will not replace coaching judgment, but they can change the way decisions are made about rotation, preparation and recovery.
In its announcements about the program, FIBA particularly emphasizes workload management, performance analysis and player development. These are areas in which technology can be useful only if the data are accurate and if teams know how to turn them into practical decisions. The mere fact that a system records jumps, speed or positioning does not automatically mean better performance. Value is created only when the coaching staff connects the data with the tactical plan, medical information and the context of the game. That is why FIBA's approval process is important also from an educational perspective: national teams should know that the data come from a system that has passed testing, but they should also understand the limitations of that technology.
The safety of wearable devices remains a key issue
Wearable technology in a contact sport must meet more criteria than measurement precision alone. In basketball, jumps, collisions, falls, screens and battles for position are frequent, so a device worn on the body must not endanger the player wearing it or her opponents. In the first testing cycle, FIBA stated that the safety assessment of wearable devices concerns the size, shape, weight and behavior of the equipment on impact. The new regulatory framework additionally emphasizes that approved wearable solutions may be used only if they are placed in a safe and prescribed manner. This is especially important at major competitions, where even the smallest safety failure can have sporting, medical and organizational consequences.
For national teams, the safety aspect has another dimension. Players come from clubs that may use different technologies, while a national-team tournament introduces a common standard that must apply to everyone. If individual systems are approved after independent verification, the risk is reduced that devices of different quality levels or questionable suitability will be used at the same competition. At the same time, FIBA will have to communicate clearly which solutions have passed the process, under what conditions they may be used and how situations will be handled in which national teams want to work with their own suppliers. According to FIBA, the list of solutions that successfully complete the approval process will be confirmed after the reporting and review are completed.
Technology is also entering broadcasts, analytics and the fan experience
Although the current emphasis is on national teams and coaching staffs, tracking systems also have broader media potential. In earlier announcements, FIBA stated that integrating data into broadcasts can create a more immersive experience for viewers, while partnerships in the fields of automated statistics, video and computer vision are already being developed at the global level. According to FIBA, the expanded partnership with Genius Sports until 2035 should give leagues and national federations access to automated player tracking, coaching tools, analytics, officiating tools and broadcast enrichment. This shows that movement tracking is not viewed in isolation, but as part of a broader data and video ecosystem of basketball.
For viewers, such development could in the long term mean more contextual information during broadcasts: transition speed, the spatial organization of defense, movement intensity away from the ball or the physical workload of key players. Still, FIBA's approach suggests that such elements must be built gradually and on verified data. If the technology in Berlin passes without major operational problems, the Women's Basketball World Cup could serve as a model for future international competitions. Otherwise, any difficulties will be important for refining standards before broader application.
Digital catalogue and broader standards for the basketball industry
The introduction of tracking systems fits into the broader modernization of FIBA's approach to equipment and technology. In May 2026, the FIBA Equipment & Venue Centre published a digital catalogue of approved products and technologies, intended for national federations, leagues, clubs, arena owners and sports facility managers. According to FIBA, the catalogue covers 18 hardware categories and seven software product categories, allowing users to find more easily solutions that have passed the prescribed standards. FIBA states that the centre has a central role in setting global standards for equipment and technologies in basketball games, including balls, baskets, flooring, data systems, tracking and automated video solutions.
Such a catalogue is not merely an administrative addition, but an attempt to make the basketball technology market more transparent. Clubs and federations are increasingly investing in data solutions, but the level of information and available budgets vary considerably. An approval system can help smaller organizations avoid purchasing technology that does not meet minimum standards, while giving larger organizations a framework for comparison. For technology manufacturers, on the other hand, FIBA's approval process can become an important confirmation of quality and a path to the global basketball market. This does not mean that all solutions will have the same functionality, but it does mean that the basic level of accuracy, safety and suitability should be more clearly defined.
Next step: automated video solutions
FIBA has announced that during 2026 it will also organize a test event for Automated Video Solutions. According to the organization's announcement, that test will assess camera-based systems that support the automatic recording, production and analysis of games. This expands the technological agenda from tracking physical movement to the overall processing of images and game content. In modern basketball, video is no longer only a match archive, but the basis for scouting, tactical preparation, player development, officiating analysis and digital distribution of content. If video is automated reliably and at a reasonable cost, federations and leagues that do not have the resources for a large production infrastructure could also benefit.
The announcement of additional testing shows that FIBA wants to develop an ecosystem in which technology is introduced through standards, rather than exclusively through a market race among suppliers. Berlin will therefore be more than a sports tournament: it will also be a practical test of a new phase of basketball analytics at the highest international level. Success will not depend only on whether the systems collect a lot of data, but on whether that data will be accurate, safe, understandable and useful to the teams competing for the world title. According to the available information, the final list of approved solutions is expected after the review of reports, and FIBA's technology program will continue even after the Berlin tournament through further tests, the digital catalogue and new standards for equipment, data and video.
Sources:
- FIBA – announcement on the second Tracking Solutions test event and application at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 (link)
- FIBA – announcement on the launch of the Approval Program for Player Tracking Solutions and the first testing in Leiria (link)
- FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 – official competition website, groups, schedule and basic information (link)
- FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 – competition system and final phase format (link)
- FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 – qualification overview and list of national teams (link)
- FIBA – announcement on the digital catalogue of the FIBA Equipment & Venue Centre and standards for equipment and technology (link)
- FIBA – announcement on the partnership with Genius Sports and the development of AI systems for data, video and player tracking (link)