Shrink the field, add hockey-like walls and serve cheaper beer. The triad has been a model of survival for the Arena Football League but also led to more than its fair share of concussions (on the field, of course). Its players' susceptibility to blows made the league a natural fit for helmet manufacturer Schutt to test its Shockometer—a retrofit designed to warn medical personnel of a potential concussion.

In an unexpected move, the International Federation of Association Football, soccer’s governing body, this week pulled the plug on plans to implement a state-of-the-art scoring system. Instead of introducing the dual technologies—a sidelines camera and in-ball chip—officials have opted for a decidedly low-tech solution for better determining whether a goal was scored: two additional linesmen.