Australian Football League to Trial Hawk-Eye
July 4, 2013
The Australian Football League (AFL), the biggest competition for Aussie rules football, is set to trial Hawk-Eye technology this weekend as it seeks to improve its controversial goal review system.
The technology, which has been flown in from the UK, will be in place at all three round 15 MCG matches, starting with the Friday night clash between Collingwood and Carlton.
However, it will be used on a test basis only, and will not yet be adopted as part of the review system.
Although it is from the same company, the technology is not the same as that used at the Australian Open and international cricket, which tracks the path of the ball.
Rather, it is designed only to allow the video umpire greater control over the vision at his disposal.
AFL football operations manager Mark Evans said he hoped the technology could improve the review process.
“It is a piece of technology that allows the person reviewing goal scores to manipulate the vision themselves,” Evans told radio 3AW’s Sports Today program on Wednesday night.
“So all the vision comes up on the one screen, and you can exit some and just focus on one or two.
“And basically, that vision runs in synch, so you can pause one and see exactly where it is from another angle.
“The whole idea is, can we make the decision quicker and more accurate?”
The goal review system was introduced at the start of last season, using only broadcasters’ footage to analyse referred decisions.
It has been the subject of constant debate, due to the frequently inconclusive nature of the available footage.
The AFL has conceded the system is not perfect, but believes it has gone some way to eliminating obvious mistakes.