In 2005 Lega Pallavolo Serie A Italian Volleyball League started to think about a mode to take advantage of technology to make easier the IN or OUT ball around the line.
Lega Volley officer Fabrizio Rossini, working on development of new technologies, saw a vast variety of solutions.. Together with Gaetano Pasini Engineer Professor of Bologna University and together with engineers Lorenzo Peretto and Roberto Tinarelli of Electric Engineer Department, created the Sport Moles, in italian “La Talpa”, a machine down the court which can recognize the contact of the ball on the turf, identifying the IN or OUT balls around the lines.
The projected has been introduced at Volley Land 2007 by President Diego Mosna and Lega Volley CEO Massimo Righi.
Some were happy and enthusiastic, some were worried by the Moles. The debut of Sport Moles, after the practice in Junior League Finals in Sestola, was at TIM Italian Supercup 2007 in Trieste.
Authorized by FIVB, Sport Moles will be used on all the courts of Serie A1 TIM starting from 2007-2008 season until 2009-10 season.
But Sport Moles is not able to convert on video the vibrations, as Video Check System did after a couple of seasons, so the System has been surpassed, and found its way to some other users, as malls and people counting analysis.