There’s an interesting thread on the message boards right now regarding spirit-of-the-law-type rule enforcement in sports.

It reminded me of something I have often wondered about: at major tournaments, tennis line calls are now largely made by automated system: sophisticated electronic eyes. Basketball and football penalties require a great deal of complexity and personal judgment, but how far are we from a computer system that could (almost) completely adjudicate baseball? An electronic eye for the strike zone, pressure sensors on gloves and bases to time tags, etc.

Could it be done with current technology? Should it? Which rules couldn’t be interpreted well by a computer? Discuss.