Hawk-eye system makes referee crazy

Hawk-eye system: watch signals that a goal is scored.

Goal-line technology: watch signals goal.

The hawk-eye system worked a bit too well in Dutch Eredivisie. Referee Danny Makkelie went crazy because of this new technology, which was used for the first time during a match in Dutch top league last weekend.

The reason: nobody had thought about the youth players from home team Utrecht who were trying to shoot the ball on the bar during halftime, says AD Sportwereld, a Dutch newspaper. Every time the players shot the ball in the goal, Makkelie’s watch buzzed and the text “goal” was shown.

Read more about how this system works.

The goal-line technology system is turned on two hours before the match to test it. It was the first time the system was used and technicians didn’t dare to turn it off because they were not sure if they could turn it back on.

Check out the video how referee Danny Makkelie scores to test the system

Goal-line technology works at Chelsea vs. Hull

It’s 2-0 for Chelsea in the game against Hull. Injury time and a corner kick had been awarded for Chelsea. Frank Lampard swings the ball in and a player heads it towards the goal. Goalie McGregor got the ball, but did it cross the line? The goal-line technology gives the answer: no goal. Correct decision.

Check out the video from the situation. The quality is not so good, but all other video’s of the situation have been deleted. Read below how this system works.

How does goal-line technology works in 6 key points

  • Seven camera’s per goal detect if the ball has crossed the line or not.
  • The referee will get a signal on his vibrating watch with the text GOAL just one second after the ball crossed the line.
  • The system works perfectly even when there are many people standing on the line. Sportsmail’s Laurie Whitwell tried it: “I lifted the ball up and walked over the line with it tucked under my arm to see if that affected things. Again the machine on my wrist told me it was a goal.”
  • Hawk-Eye can provide a TV replay to categorically prove the decision is correct, the company says.
  • It is technically possible to also provide a “near miss” signal to the watches so the referee also receives a positive confirmation that the ball did not cross the line in a close incident.
  • The system will not be disturbed by thousands of fans using their mobile phone. Mail Online wrote: “Instead, it is an automatic transmission from the cameras. Not wifi or Bluetooth, which can be affected when 70,000 people bring mobiles to grounds, but Hawk-Eye’s special method that they do not reveal as it is a secret to their success.”