Hawk-Eye Wins Premier League Contract
At last! The long awaited introduction of goal-line technology in English football will come to an end next season after Hawk-Eye secured a reported five-year contract with the English Premier League. Hawk-Eye were given the nod ahead of rival systems GoalRef and Cairos, who were both under consideration.
The camera based system will be installed across all top flight Premier League grounds and Wembley Stadium over the summer months ahead of the 2013/14 season. A panel made up of senior Premier League figures and match officials identified Hawk-Eye as the most impressive bid.
Hawk-Eye were always favourites to land the contract. In 2007 the Premier League invested in Hawk-Eye, but no longer have a relationship with the company. Other rivals for the bid included GoalRef and Cairos - German systems that both use magnetic sensors rather than cameras. GoalControl - the German company selected by FIFA for the Confederations Cup and World Cup - were not in the running.
The Community shield will be the first match in England to use Hawk-Eye goal-line technology in full. The technology will use six cameras around the goal to track the ball. The system software creates 3D images which capture the position of the ball in relation to the goal. If the ball crosses the line, a signal is transmitted to the referee via a watch or earpiece within just half a second.
The Premier League will become the first league in Europe to introduce goal-line technology, with Spain expected to follow suit in two or three years. It will be used in all 2013/14 Premier League fixtures and FA Cup matches from the third round onwards at stadiums with Hawk-Eye installed.
A good move for top-flight football? Let us know what you think about the introduction of Hawk-Eye for the 2013/14 Premier League season. Join the conversation online, on Twitter and on Facebook.
