# Real-time Localization of a Soccer Ball from a Single Camera

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.07981 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2506.07981/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 2 of its 8 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 9 Jun 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [What Players do with the Ball: A Physically Constrained Interaction Modeling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1511.06181/) (2015)
- [Ball 3D Localization From A Single Calibrated Image](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.00003/) (2022)

## Abstract (arXiv)

We propose a computationally efficient method for real-time three-dimensional football trajectory reconstruction from a single broadcast camera. In contrast to previous work, our approach introduces a multi-mode state model with W discrete modes to significantly accelerate optimization while preserving centimeter-level accuracy -- even in cases of severe occlusion, motion blur, and complex backgrounds. The system operates on standard CPUs and achieves low latency suitable for live broadcast settings. Extensive evaluation on a proprietary dataset of 6K-resolution Russian Premier League matches demonstrates performance comparable to multi-camera systems, without the need for specialized or costly infrastructure. This work provides a practical method for accessible and accurate 3D ball tracking in professional football environments.