AFTER A SUMMER of some discontent (ask Louth fans) the GAA, it seems are ready to move into the 21st century and introduce goal-line technology.
Fintan O’Toole in the Irish Examiner writes that the new hardware could be installed in time for next year’s All-Ireland championships if a ‘presentation on the Hawk-eye system is received favourably by the GAA’s Management Committee next month’. He writes:
GAA Head of Games Pat Daly yesterday revealed that both the Hawk-eye and catching nets systems have been examined by a research committee and the Hawk-eye system will now go before the GAA’s Management Committee where issues like costing will be addressed.
If the system gets the green light there, it could then go forward to next April’s Congress in Mullingar and come into action next summer.
Both this year's championships were marred by umpiring errors throughout the summer.
Cork's Ben O'Connor and Galway forward Ger Farragher had 'scores' that were awarded despite being actually wide.
Michael Clifford says that the technology will 'probably be used in hurling first before football'.
Writing in the Irish Daily Mail, he says the association's director of games, Pat Daly is confident the idea is a good one - particularly considering the other sports in which Hawk-eye is employed.
It's used in tennis and used in cricket and they are two games similar to hurling in that it's a small ball travelling very fast.
You'd say if it's doing the business in those sports, then you would say it is the one most likely to do it in this sport.
Well, it is pretty accurate...
