Hugh Muir’s farewell to line judges at Wimbledon, who have been replaced by electronic wizardry, fails to mention the greatest benefit: we are no longer subjected to the inane slow hand-clapping that accompanied the pause before the verdict of the electronic line judge, as if it could speed up the decision (Look at Wimbledon without human line judges and tell me this: do you really want life to be perfect? 2 July).
Technology has been applied to cricket to its benefit, with the DRS (decision review system) assisting the umpires. Yet one could argue that football has been ruined by VAR (video assistant referee), as referees have become slaves to it. Goals that were once the result of a perfectly timed run are now judged to have been a shirt’s thickness offside. Beware the machine.
Dr Martin Schwarz
Delph, Greater Manchester
• I’ve been more worried about the ball boys and girls at Wimbledon in the heat rather than lack of line judges. Why not go the whole hog and replace them with robots? Let the players go back to getting their own towels rather than expecting the youngsters to hand them over.
Christine Walters
Buxton, Derbyshire
• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
