LAST UPDATE | 20 Aug 2019
HAWK-EYE HAVE confirmed that it was correct in awarding John Donnelly’s controversial point in Sunday’s All-Ireland hurling final.
Tipperary goalkeeper Brian Hogan appeared to have caught Donnelly’s effort before it dropped over the crossbar, but the play was subsequently called back and a point was awarded for the Kilkenny forward.
Hogan was adamant that he’d prevented the ball from going over. It was the second game in succession where Hawk-Eye awarded a score after he fetched it above his crossbar, following a similar incident with a Lee Chin free in the semi-final.
Doubts were raised over whether Hawk-Eye’s system allowed it to determine if the sliotar had crossed the bar, but the Sony-owned company confirmed its technology can detect if the ball has gone over and that Donnelly’s effort was indeed a legitimate score.
Hawkeye is called in again when an effort for point is caught just above the crossbar. John Donnelly benefits from the decision.
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) August 18, 2019
Watch #SundayGame highlights from 9:30pm on @rte2 #KKvTipp pic.twitter.com/jg533XeKnP
“To confirm, the Hawk-Eye system, installed at Croke Park, can determine if the ball has passed the crossbar,” Hawk-Eye’s Grace Fenton told The42.
“The system only gives a point when the ball has crossed the plane of the goal and in between the goalposts.”
Some of the confusion surrounded the ball tracker image that appeared to show the trajectory of the ball if it had continued on its flight path even after the keeper caught it.
Hawk-Eye confirmed that by the trajectory changing colour it was an indication the ball had fully travelled over the crossbar.
“The visual confirmation that the ball crossed the plane comes from the fact that the trajectory changes colour,” added Fenton.
“This point in the trajectory of the flight is signified by the trajectory changing from red to white.”
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