Premier League Votes In Hawk-eye For 2013-14
Goal-line technology will be introduced into the Barclays Premier League next season, which will see the division become the first major domestic football league to introduce the system, after club chairmen voted to approve its installation, with British-based Hawk-Eye awarded the contract for 21 stadiums.
Installation of the system – which costs around £250,000 per ground – will cover the 17 teams that survive relegation, plus the three promoted teams from the Championship, as well as Wembley Stadium and is expected to take up to six weeks to complete.
Hawk-Eye’s camera-based ball-tracking system was awarded the contract ahead of three other FIFA-licensed products: GoalRef, GoalControl and Cairos.
Hawk-Eye’s system is already globally recognised for its work in other sports, after successfully operating in tennis and cricket for a number of years.
The football system will send a signal to the referee’s watch within a second of the ball crossing the line, with the final say on a disputed goal remaining with the match official.
Premier League chief executive, Richard Scudamore, said: ‘The Premier League has been a long-time advocate of goal-line technology, and at times it didn’t look like it would be something we would be able to introduce. However, since FIFA took the decision to permit it we have been working hard to get a system in as soon as practically possible.’
‘Football is fundamentally a simple game; whichever side scores most goals wins. So, when one is scored, or indeed not scored, and we have the ability through technology to definitively know whether the ball crossed the line we should absolutely use it.’
Hawk-Eye was first trialled at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium last year before being tested in competition at December’s FIFA Club World Cup in Japan.
Paul Hawkins, inventor of Hawk-Eye, added: ‘Hawk-Eye is delighted to be the partner that the Barclays Premier League trusts to deliver accurate and reliable goal-line technology. We understand the responsibility that we have been given, and that the real challenge lies ahead in consistently delivering the technology that football deserves.’
The system should be used for the first time at August’s season-opening Community Shield match at Wembley Stadium.
