FA Premier League To Test Hawk-eye

The FA Premier League is to test the use of Hawk-Eye technology in determining
whether a ball has crossed the goal-line or not with a view to using the system
in matches.

The ball-tracking device, which has been adopted in tennis and cricket in
varying degrees, is commonly viewed to be an accurate measurement system.

Football has previously been wary of adopting use of the system due to
concerns of how it might disrupt the flow of a game.

However, Paul Hawkins, the inventor of the system, has confirmed that he now
has a contract in place with the FA Premier League regarding testing Hawk-Eye.

He stated: ‘We have a contract with the Premier League to develop a system.
It is purely for the referees and not for television. The process is to be
evaluated firstly by the Premier League and then FIFA.

‘If we jump those hurdles then there will be a slow role of trialling it in
matches and, hopefully, with the end game of it being in all the Premier League
grounds.’

Hawkins expects football to adopt his invention in two years’ time, if the
testing process proves successful.

‘It will be tested next month and the process will evolve from there. It took
a couple of years in tennis from the start of tests to it being used and we can
probably expect the same timeframe.’

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) gave the go-ahead for the
development of goal-line technology in March after a FA Premier League
presentation.

But the IFAB ruled that the technology could only be used for goal-line
decisions and it would have to be 100% accurate, be instantaneous and only be
available to officials.